Kundmala mishap: Safety, the top priority during monsoon travel

3 days ago 4

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What happened at Kundmala?An over 30-year-old iron bridge on the Indrayani River near Kundmala collapsed on Sunday, killing at least four people and injuring many others. A popular destination, the bridge saw high footfall on weekends owing to the scenic surroundings.

The bridge was in a bad shape for a while. Commenting on one of the rescue videos on Instagram, a woman wrote, “I have been there multiple times. This bridge has been shaking since 2020.” Older videos document the crowd the place drew. Recently, a tender to build a new bridge was passed but work was delayed due to rain, according to Girish Mahajan, Maharashtra’s Minister of Water Resources.

There was a huge crowd on the bridge. The road was jammed due to vehicles coming from both sides. The crowd gathered at one place, and the bridge collapsed. People standing in the middle of the bridge were swept away. We fell on the stones and got injured

A visitor to Kundmala on Sunday, told ANI

Safety, the top priority during monsoon travel

Better safe than sorry Speaking to us Sagar Vilas Dahimbekar, founder of SVRSS, an organisation involved in the rescue operations at Kundmala, said, “Locals in the area say they have been warning tourists against going on the bridge.

In fact, there even is a signboard put up by the Indori village authorities that prohibits people from going on to the dangerous bridge. Very often, tourist flout rules that have been put in place for their safety.

I think we all need to exercise extra caution, especially while travelling during monsoons.”

The first thing any person should keep in mind while travelling during monsoons, especially to lesser-known or remote locations, is to go with an experienced person or take help of locals. If the weather is bad or there are guidelines and warnings issued, avoid going there altogether. We tell our trekkers the same thing. Safety comes first, no matter what

Tanisha Hussain, from Trekkers of Maharashtra

Restrictions till Aug 31 Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi issued restrictions and safety rules under Section 163 of the Indian Civil Protection Code, 2023, which are essential for tourists’ safety and maintaining law and order during monsoon tourism.

The restrictions, in place till Aug 31, apply to destinations including Ekvira Devi temple, Karla and Bhaje caves, forts like Lohgad, Visapur, Tikona, as well as Pavana Dam and popular points in Lonavala, among others. Restrictions on:-Entering fast-flowing streams, swimming in dangerous waters, or going close to waterfalls -Sitting under a waterfall -Taking selfies and photographs at the waterfall edge, valley borders, and on steep terrain -Reckless driving, parking vehicles on roads and in hazardous spots -Loud music systems, DJ setups, car speakers, and woofers

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