With heavy rains lashing Pune district for the last 48 hours, a minor mudslip has temporarily blocked the route leading to the Lavasa Township, a popular tourist destination, trapping more than 400 people within the resort town sited in Mulshi Taluk.
The incident occured Wednesday morning when a large mass of soil tumbled from the slopes of the Dasve Ghat near Ekaant Hotel Resort owing to incessant rain, blocking the only route from Pune leading to Lavasa.
The continuous downpour has thwarted efforts to the clear the road, with more than 400 guests marooned in four-five major hotels in Lavasa including the Fortune Hotel, said an official on Thursday, requesting anonymity.
“We except the road to be cleared soon,” said the official.
Likewise inclement weather has triggered minor landslides in the Malshej Ghat area and the Varanda Ghat region in Bhor Taluk.
Malshej Ghat, another popular tourist haunt and a vital link between Ahmednagar district and kalyan, witnessed its fourth landslide this monsoon. Activists have called for a complete closure as they predict that the entire stretch of the ghat area has become extremely vulnerable to landslides and rockfalls owing to consistent weathering undergone over several years.
Similarly, the Varanda Ghat in Bhor taluk was completely shut down after rocks and boulders tumbled down near the Hirdoshi area.
No casualties have been reported in any of the three incidents.
