Sinhgad fort to be shut on New Year’s eve; to open for traffic on Jan 2

The public works department (PWD) which carried out the work has finished the work and removed the heavy machinery, but the forest department which manages the fort is not yet ready to open the fort for traffic and public use

PUNE The Sinhgad fort will remain shut during the New Year’s eve, despite the road work and safety rockfall net installation work is over. The public works department (PWD) which carried out the work has finished the work and removed the heavy machinery, but the forest department which manages the fort is not yet ready to open the fort for traffic and public use.

The Sinhgad fort will remain shut during the New Year’s eve, despite the road work and safety rockfall net installation work is over (Pratham Gokhale/HT PHOTO)

Dhananjay Deshpande, executive engineer, PWD said, ‘We have removed the machinery as the road work is complete. The net installation work is over and we have handed over the fort to the forest department which will now take a call on whether or not to open the fort for public use.”

A Sreelakshmi, deputy conservator of forests, said, “The fort will not be open for tourists and citizens this New Year’s weekend and we will open the road for traffic by January 2.”

The decision to install nets was taken after as many as 15 cases of boulder falls were recorded in a few months which raised safety concerns for motorists and visitors.

Meanwhile, the forest department officials of the Pune division will be patrolling several forts near the city as well as the surrounding forest area that tends to be turned into party spots on December 31.