Crowds out for picnics, treks draw warning from Pune district collector

The new Katraj tunnel near the Dari bridge on the Bengaluru highway, saw a large number of vehicles with people out for a picnic or a trek on the surrounding hill-sides

Despite of stricter restrictions in the city and a weekend lockdown in place, massive crowds were seen cross Pune district on Sunday.

With major tourist sites closed to the public, people on Sunday took to lesser-known picnic spots, like this site near Dari bridge on the Bengaluru highway. (Ravindra Joshi/HT PHOTO)

The new Katraj tunnel near the Dari bridge on the Bengaluru highway, saw a large number of vehicles with people out for a picnic or a trek on the surrounding hill-sides.

People were out with children and vehicles lined the sides of the highway.

“We are at home for the last two months. May is always a month of summer holidays. As Covid cases were on the rise, we avoided going out anywhere last month. Now, there are restrictions at famous tourists spots, so we decided to go nearby,” said Kaplesh Munjal, a citizen who was out with his family and two children.

There are several spots in Pune district which are not famous tourist attractions, but work as weekend getaways. The mountain section near Bhor and Bhatgar dam is one such area.

Pune district collector Rajendra Deshnmukh said, “All restrictions are in place and despite that if people are avoiding it and risking their own lives to go to such places, it is not right. Action will be taken against citizens who go are out in causing crowding.”