Prioritise safety, trekkers told

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There is renewed craze for trekking among youngsters in Pune and most of the times safety is not given a thought, opine officials.

Jigar Hindocha

Pune: Rahul Patil, deputy conservator of the forest has urged trekkers to give priority to safety before planning a trek following a number of accidents in the last two months.

On Saturday, trekker Hemang Gala was found dead after rocks slide down the slope near Kalyan Darwaza. In May, Farhan Serajuddin, a trekker from New Delhi, was found dead, near Lonavala.

Drawing attention on the safety of trekkers, Rahul Patil, deputy conservator of forest said, “We are urging people not to venture into unnecessary adventurous activities on the fort. They should accord priority to their safety. We have restricted public entry at Kalyan Darwaza for safety reasons. We have not placed any restriction on the other forts as they are historic places and people like to visit them.

There is renewed craze for trekking among youngsters in Pune and most of the times safety is not given a thought, opine officials.

Umesh Zirpe, president, Akhil Maharashtra Giryarohan Mahasangh, an Apex state-level Mountaineering federation said, “The incident which happened was due to natural calamity. Groups organising trekking must study the area before initiating such events. Understanding the climate condition of the specific area is a must. While trekking during monsoon, select the places which are less foggy and where rainfall activity is not heavy. During monsoon season trekking during the daytime is a safe option. Early morning or night treks are not safe.”

Sharing his thoughts about the same, mountaineer Bhagvan Chale said that having a local guide along with the trekking group is a must.