Monsoon getaway turns into nightmare at Sinhagad Fort

With the onset of monsoon, thousands of revellers thronged the Sinhagad Fort on Sunday, eager to enjoy the lush greenery there. However, it turned out to be an experience many of them will not forget easily.

Sunday being a holiday, as many as 20,000 people turned up at the fort with over 2,200 two-wheelers and 1,100 four-wheelers crowding the area. The chaos led to a mammoth traffic jam that lasted for six to seven hours. The mad rush of tourists, however, brought smile to the forest department which recorded a massive toll collection of Rs86,500 on a single day, breaking a five-year record.

People started turning up at the fort with their families and friends as early as 6 am. They have to use the road from Dhonje Phata to go to the fort and while returning, they are supposed to use the Khed Shivpur via Kondhanpur road. However, the commuters did not follow the one-way direction leading to the traffic jam.

The traffic started to get chaotic at 11 am. The entire parking area at the fort was packed.

Visitors then parked their vehicles in the ghat section, which made movement difficult for vehicles moving in either direction. No traffic policemen were deployed at the spot. The forest officials, along with local residents, tried their best to clear the traffic jam, but none of the commuters were in a position to follow their directions.

The commuters enjoyed corn, jhunka-bhakar and kanda bhajji until the stall owners ran out of stock. Umesh Shene, a software engineer who had come along with wife and four-year-old son on a motorbike said, “It was my first visit to the fort along with my family.

But the chaotic situation has spoiled my Sunday. I will never come to the fort again.”

The traffic jam at the fort not only affected the ghat section but also hampered the movement to the Khadakwasla chowpati area. Later, the traffic policemen were seen at Khadakwasla dam and chowpati area. They diverted the traffic to the city through Warje.

A forest officer told dna on condition of anonymity, “For road-widening purpose, some portion of the ghat is dug up. Now, only after the monsoon we will be able to complete the work. We always request the traffic police to help us clear the traffic, but they do not turn up on time or never turn up.”

Record toll collection
Sachin Patil, a forest officer deployed at the toll naka at the fort, said, “We charge Rs20 for two-wheelers and Rs50 for four-wheelers. Altogether we collected Rs86,500. This is the highest amount in the last five year in single day. Till last year it was Rs71,000.”