Forest Department enforces ban on entry to forests and water falls

Due to the heavy rains in the Western Ghats region, officers of the Forest Department have banned the entry of tourists to protected forests and waterfalls in forest areas in Belagavi and surrounding places. The prohibitory orders have been issued in view of public safety.

An order by the department states that public entry to forest areas and waterfalls is currently prohibited, and that forest personnel have been deployed in strategic areas to ensure the same.

This follows the death of a young man from Belagavi in a forest in Goa. Aditya Satpati, 20, drowned while bathing at the Barajan waterfall near Sural, located in the core protected zone of the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa, last week. Goa forest officers recovered the body on Monday.

The Goa Forest Department has registered a case against five Belagavi youths who had accompanied the deceased youth, on charges of entering the restricted area without authorisation. Goa government officials have also announced a complete ban on entry to the sanctuary and the waterfall following repeated violations.

Wildlife conservation enthusiasts have flagged serious violations by the public and the officers in this case. “The sanctuary, including its buffer zone, is officially closed to visitors. But a group of six young tourists from Belagavi had allegedly entered the area illegally. Mr. Satpati drowned while bathing at the waterfall. We have information that the group entered the Goa waterfall from the Karnataka side using a forest trail that is out of bounds for visitors,” Giridhar Kulkarni, a wildlife conservationist, said.

“The incident has renewed concerns over safety measures at such sites. Despite signboards placed at multiple points across the sanctuary warning against entry, it appears that tourists from Belagavi and other places continue to enter illegally and indulge unsafe behaviour. It is clear that forest officials are not exercising due diligence in enforcing the bans on entry. The State government should take this seriously and ensure all relevant government orders are followed,’’ he said.

He plans on filing a complaint with the Forest Department seeking an inquiry and appropriate action.