Prioritise citizen safety, keep risk-prone tourist spots off-limits during monsoon: Maharashtra Chief secretary

Mumbai: A day four picnickers were killed in a bridge collapse in Pune, Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik on Monday said safety of tourists needs to be prioritised during the monsoon and dangerous or risky spots should be closed down temporarily.

Along with putting up signboards at dangerous tourist spots, they should be temporarily closed until they are fully repaired with adequate security arrangements put in place, she said.

Appropriate action should be taken against tourists who do not take precautions and ignore instructions of the administration or police, the senior IAS officer noted.

Saunik made the remarks while reviewing the situation at a meeting following the collapse of an iron bridge over the Indrayani river at Kundmala, a popular tourist spot in Pune district's Maval tehsil on Sunday afternoon.

Pune Divisional Commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar, District Collector Jitendra Dudi, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Commissioner Shekhar Singh and senior police officers participated in the meeting, held in state secretariat in Mumbai, via video conferencing.

"During the monsoon, tourists come to some places in large numbers. The administration needs to be vigilant at such places. To prevent loss of life, security should be enhanced at places where there is danger and if necessary, tourist entry should be temporarily banned.

"Even after this, if tourists do not follow instructions of the administration, appropriate action should be taken against them," Saunik told the meeting, according to an official release.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis noted the collapsed 32-year-old iron pedestrian bridge on the Indrayani river at Kundmala had been declared dangerous by the district collector, and warning boards were put up at the site.

Saunik instructed officials concerned to allocate responsibilities area-wise by prioritizing protection of citizens and to take help of Home Guard and National Cadet Corps (NCC) to enforce safety measures.

According to the release, the chief secretary said the Public Works Department should survey bridges built on roads and undertake repair work on old bridges or construct new ones as per requirement.

She suggested that the administration should take special precautions as number of tourists increases in the Pune division during the monsoon.

Multiple accidents have taken place in the state in the last few days, including one on Mumbai's outskirts where four commuters were killed after falling off a crowded local train, and deaths of citizens in them were very unfortunate, the senior bureaucrat maintained.

Saunik asked different agencies to work together to prevent possible accidents by giving top priority to safety of citizens and suggested issuing guidelines for passengers to avoid accidents during rail travel.

In the wake of the death of four commuters in Thane district on June 9, the Chief Secretary held a separate meeting with Railway, metro, police, municipal corporation, administrative agencies and discussed measures to ensure safety of train passengers and prevent accidents.

Saunik noted all wings need to be vigilant during the monsoon and the subsequent festive season. Railways should appoint a nodal officer for this period and take help from retired and expert officers if required.

Guidelines should be prepared for passengers travelling by Rail and metro. Necessary instructions should be given to passengers through display boards, announcement systems, social media, FM radio stations to avoid crowing and prevent untoward incidents, said the top bureaucrat.

Arrangements should be made to activate siren like in lifts when there is heavy crowd in trains. Special care should be taken during heavy rains and high tide, she emphasised.

Baggage scanners should be installed at all Railway stations and garbage must be disposed of immediately, the IAS officer stated.

Saunik suggested steps to prevent dissemination of wrong information during an accident. Measures should be taken to provide immediate and correct information to citizens.

Railway officials should take immediate steps regarding safety of passengers with the help of CCTV footage and artificial intelligence in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, she said.