Chinchoti Ops: One of Mumbai’s most difficult rescues

On Saturday noon, when over 100 persons were stranded in the swelling waters at the Chinchoti waterfalls at Vasai taluka in Palghar district, almost everything was against the rescue teams.

Whether it was incessant rains, winds, visibility, terrain, jungles, and accessibility or mobile connectivity – all the factors were against it.

The Chinchoti waterfalls is located at the Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary – nearly 70 to 80 km from downtown Mumbai - off the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway.

As soon as the SOS message was received that over 100 persons were stranded at Chinchoti waterfall, the entire administration of the Palghar district and police, Vasai tehsil and the Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation swung into action.

Palghar Collector Prashant Nanaware himself coordinated with the Maharashtra Government, National Disaster Rescue Force and the Indian Air Force.

Those who stranded there were mostly young and were revellers – as Chinchoti offers a weekend getaway. “When we reached Chinchoti, everything was okay, but suddenly there were heavy rains and the water level rose and the force of flow increased,” most of the tourists said.

The tourists were mainly from Santacruz, Borivli, Kandivli, Malad, Airoli.

“It was a difficult operation,” said a senior police official involved in the operation. “As many as 107 persons were stranded of which 106 were rescued and one person died,” the official said.

The deceased was identified as Bhavesh Gutpa (35), a resident of Kandivli.

When rescue teams from VVCMC and Vasai taluka reached there, they found that 107 persons were stranded of whom 27 were in the danger zone.

The help of the IAF and NDRF was sought. The Traffic department ensured that a “green corridor” is made and the 5th Batallion of NDRF could reach in time from Andheri. The locals helped the administration and set up a flag and lit fire resulting in smoke – to direct the chopper.

The firemen and NDRF teams had to trek three to four km inside the jungles to reach the spot. People staying in villages in the neighbourhood provided horses and mules to carry the equipment.

“While some of the people in the danger zone were winched up by the chopper, the NDRF and VVCMC teams tied ropes and pulled out the stranded people one by one,” eye-witnesses said.

During monsoon, Chinchoti is one of the favourite spots in Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

In fact, one has to trek three to four kilometres to reach there. Chinchoti waterfalls are comprised of a bunch of small and big waterfalls. The big waterfall plunges from a height of 100 ft.