Heavy tourist influx forces closure of Andharban forest trek

According to forest authorities, the past two days have seen an overwhelming turnout of nearly 5,000 to 6,000 visitors at the trek’s entry point, far exceeding the trail’s carrying capacity

A massive tourist influx on Sunday, June 29, forced forest officials to close entry to the popular Andharban forest trail by early afternoon, following overcrowding concerns and safety risks.

Given the dense forest terrain and narrow pathways, officials said crowd control became increasingly challenging, triggering fears of potential accidents and damage to the fragile ecosystem.  (HT)

According to forest authorities, the past two days have seen an overwhelming turnout of nearly 5,000 to 6,000 visitors at the trek’s entry point, far exceeding the trail’s carrying capacity. Given the dense forest terrain and narrow pathways, officials said crowd control became increasingly challenging, triggering fears of potential accidents and damage to the fragile ecosystem.

The situation escalated rapidly on Sunday morning, with tourists beginning to gather as early as 9 am. By 11:30 am, the crowd near the ticket counter had swelled to an alarming level, raising concerns over a possible stampede. In response, forest officials shut the ticket window by noon and capped the number of trekkers allowed. Approximately 3,000 visitors were permitted to proceed in batches, while the rest were asked to return for safety reasons.

“The sudden crowd surge posed serious logistical issues. We had to close entry by noon to prevent any untoward incident,” said Sagar Bhosale, range forest officer, Andharban division.

Officials reiterated that entry to the trek is now routinely closed after 2 pm and will be shut earlier if crowd numbers soar. With the monsoon season drawing more trekkers, the forest department has appealed to visitors to plan weekday visits to avoid overcrowding and ensure a safer trekking experience.