Ongoing road work hits Sinhagad tourism

Ongoing road work hits Sinhagad tourism

PUNE: The ongoing tarring of road in Sinhagad ghat section - that had prompted the civic administration to keep the road leading to the Sinhagad Fort closed since December 2 - has not only robbed tourists of a great picnic destination, but has severely affected shops and taxi owners during this busy holiday season. 

However, the number of trekkers going to Sinhagad has increased manifold since the rocky trail is the only way to reach this iconic fort. The Public Works Department (PWD) carried out steel net installation work on the roadside and were supposed to finish the work on December 28. However, the deadline has now been extended to January 11, 2020. The peak holiday season during winter will be over by then.

Vishwanath Majumale, who owns a restaurant at the top of the fort, said, “After the road was closed for vehicles, many tourists coming from other states and other parts of Maharashtra have to trek all the way to the fort.”

“We restaurant owners are facing losses due to this ongoing work. We find it difficult to carry raw materials for our restaurant from the nearby village to the top of the fort.”

PWD Chief Engineer Jayant Kakade said, “The ghat section towards Sinhagad fort has been vulnerable to landslides and loose boulders, therefore, we installed a steel net and now we have been doing tarring of the road. I know due to this, visitors have been trekking all the way to the top, but they should understand it is to avoid any mishap in the future.”

NUMBER OF TREKKERS UP
- The number of trekkers has increased significantly due to road closure, with as many as 2,000-2,500 choosing to use the trail up the hills to reach Sinhagad Fort. This trend is expected to continue till January 11, 2020, when the road is expected to open for tourists’ vehicles. 
- Earlier it was announced by the PWD that ghat section will open for visitors on December 22, but as some part of the ghat section is yet to be repaired, officials said the road will be closed till January 11.
- Sinhagad Fort will be closed on December 31.

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