In a daring operation, 116 tourists and revellers who were stranded at the Pandavkada waterfalls and Kharghar hills were rescued amid rising water levels and inclement weather conditions.
Those rescued include 78 women and five children, according to the Raigad police and district administration.
Located off the satellite township of Navi Mumbai, the Kharghar hills and Pandavkada is a popular destination during the monsoons.
In the wake of accidents in the past and the Covid-19 pandemic, entry to the Pandavkada waterfalls is banned. However, on Sunday, many managed to sneak in even while there was heavy rainfall in the Mumbai metropolitan region.
The revellers trekked from Sector 5 of Kharghar but heavy rains swelled the streams behind the golf course and the people were stranded for 2-3 hours.
Teams of local police and fire brigade reached there with ropes and ladders and placed them over the stream, rescuing the people one by one in a difficult operation. Over two dozen officers and men from the police and fire brigade were part of the operation.
Kharghar police station’s Senior Police Inspector Shatrughan Mali said that despite warnings people risk their lives and reach there.
"We have to behave responsibly when we know that there are dangers ahead. People are warned not to go to that area, however, they still venture there often without proper shoes and gears that are needed. They also risk themselves at the waterfall," said BN Kumar, an expert on Navi Mumbai.
Published 19 July 2021, 13:44 IST