E-Paper
Now, an ambulance with doctor & first aid training to locals for safety of tourists at Torana fort
As most visitors are amateur trekkers, they are unaware of the precautions to be taken and inadvertently head to the dangerous parts of the fort
PUNE After two youths recently died in two separate incidents at the Torana fort in Velhe taluka, Pune district, the district administration has taken significant precautionary measures for the safety of tourists and trekkers visiting the fort. As most visitors are amateur trekkers, they are unaware of the precautions to be taken and inadvertently head to the dangerous parts of the fort. Now for the safety of the public, an ambulance with a doctor has been deployed at the base of Torana fort over weekends.
In addition, the district administration will train hoteliers and fruit- and other vendors around the fort who are also local villagers in basic first aid and life-saving techniques’ as they are the first to respond to any emergency situation and as such, can save people’s lives. Further, first aid boxes will be provided to these vendors/locals and security guards will be deployed at the fort by the forest department.
Rajendra Kachare, Bhor sub-divisional officer (SDO) from the Pune district administration, said, “Learning from the last two incidents in which two youths lost their lives at Torana fort, we have taken some major steps for the safety of tourists. In one of the incidents, a big stone fell down due to monkeys playing at the fort and the youth was seriously injured by it. In the other incident, another young boy fell unconscious and was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared brought dead. One of the main reasons is that tourists and amateur trekkers take the wrong path while trekking. They do not take necessary precautionary measures and just go trekking for fun which needs to be changed.”
“While trekking any fort, it is necessary to either take the regular route or go along with a professional trekking team if you want to take the offbeat track. Only then will necessary and quality trekking equipment be taken along and help provided in case of emergency. We have now started keeping an ambulance with a doctor at the base of the fort every weekend as there is a heavy rush of tourists,” Kachare said.
“Along with these safety measures, we are also planning to train small vendors around the fort who are local villagers in basic first aid and life-saving techniques as they are among the first to respond to any emergency situation. If they are trained how to administer first aid or ferry an injured person to the base of the fort, we will be able to save many lives. Also our forest department guards and other working staff will be given the training and all of them will be provided with first aid boxes very soon,” Kachare added.
The district administration is busy installing direction- and instruction- boards all over Torana fort for amateur trekkers and people trekking just for fun. “Since easing of Covid-19 restrictions, a large number of people are visiting the forts as tourists and they are not professional trekkers. So it is necessary to install signage boards all over the forts and take precautionary measures considering the dangerous routes. Another important thing is to carry out conservation of parts of the fort that have become dangerous and need immediate repairs,” Kachare said.
Past incidents
On February 13, a student, Omkar Maheshkumar Bharamgunde, 21, died after a huge stone fell on his head. He was immediately taken to a nearby government hospital with the help of local villagers and his friends. But due to grievous injuries, he died while undergoing treatment. In another incident on February 12, a youth named Niranjan Dhoot, 22, who had come along with his friends for trekking, fell unconscious when climbing the fort. His friends took him in an ambulance to the hospital in Velhe but he was declared brought dead by the doctors by the time they reached the hospital.
