17 people stuck at Navi Mumbai’s Pandavkada Waterfall due to heavy rain, rescued

The forest department had banned entry to the Pandavkada Waterfall and Kharghar Hills in June earlier this year in view of the numerous accidents that took place in the past few years.

Seventeen people including nine women, who had been visiting the Pandavakada Waterfall at Kharghar in Navi Mumbai for a picnic, were stuck in the hills as the water level of a stream increased due to heavy rainfall on Tuesday. Officials from Kharghar and Kalamboli fire brigades later rescued them using iron ladders.

The visitors who were from Dharavi and Chembur had entered the waterfall by crossing a stream in the morning. However, due to incessant rains that stream got swollen by afternoon making it impossible for them to return to the city. (SOURCED.)

According to the police, the visitors who were from Dharavi and Chembur had entered the waterfall by crossing a stream in the morning. However, due to incessant rains that stream got swollen by afternoon making it impossible for them to return to the city. Among the rescued people, seven were minors.

The forest department had banned entry to the Pandavkada Waterfall and Kharghar Hills in June in view of the numerous accidents that took place in the past few years.

An officer from Kharghar fire station said, “We along with the officials from Kalamboli fire station reached the spot within a few minutes of receiving the call and rescued the people using iron ladders. The rescue operation continued for three hours and no one suffered injuries. The visitors belonged to the 16-27 age group except for a woman who was 48.”

Sandipan Shinde, senior inspector of Kharghar police station said, “We allowed them to go home in the evening requesting them not to repeat the same mistake in future. We have not registered any case against them yet.”

In a similar incident, as many as 116 people, including 78 women and 5 children were stuck at Kharghar Hills on July 18. The local police and the fire brigade officials rescued them safely after a few hours.