Forest Department Plans Phased Traffic Release at Sinhagad Fort to Prevent Holiday Congestion
Sinhagad, 19th June 2024: Due to the increasing number of tourists at Sinhagad, the Maharashtra Forest Department is planning a phased release of traffic to prevent congestion on holidays in the fort’s ghat section. Instructions regarding this have been issued to the Ghera Sinhagad Forest Management Committee by the Forest Department.
Last weekend, due to planning failures, the fort’s ghat section was closed to traffic for over four hours starting at 4:00 PM. The holiday on Monday compounded the issue, resulting in severe traffic jams. The Ghera Sinhagad Forest Protection Committee manages traffic flow in the Sinhagad Ghat, but their delayed decisions led to unprecedented congestion, prompting demands for intervention by the district administration. This incident served as a wake-up call for the Forest Department, which has instructed the Forest Committee to revise its traffic management strategies for smoother operations.
Tourists suffered due to the Sunday traffic jam, highlighting the need for efficient access to the fort while accommodating a maximum number of visitors. To address this, the committee is devising plans to bypass traffic jams at Sinhagad. A timetable will be established for vehicles traveling to and from the fort, with vehicles ascending to stop at Kondhanpur Naka and those descending starting from the fort’s vehicle base. The Forest Department has mandated these changes to the Forest Committee.
Pradeep Sankpal, the range forest officer of Bhamburda, stated, “The schedule will align with tourist numbers and vehicle traffic in the ghat. It will be implemented starting this Saturday, with strict adherence enforced by the Forest Management Committee.”
Additional measures include providing uniforms and raincoats to security guards, marking parking lots with white stripes, repairing damaged areas in the parking lots, training in forest and traffic management, and coordinating with the Pune Police Traffic Branch for passenger vehicle regulation. Stringent action will be taken against drivers who exhibit reckless and high-speed behavior.
