5 days ago
Tourists flouted norms even as police officials were stationed at Indrayani bridge's entry point: Advocate's chilling account of the day before bridge tragedy
For Mrinal Pandey, what started as a weekend getaway to Kundamala, has turned into a haunting reminder of how fragile life can be. Just 24 hours before an iron bridge collapsed at the popular tourist spot in Maval taluka, killing at least four people, including a child, Pandey and her friend had been standing near the very same structure, admiring the monsoon-swollen Indrayani river below.
'Being a weekend, my friend and I visited the same place where the bridge collapsed. It was shocking to receive the news of bridge collapse the very next day,' recalls Pandey, a Nigdi-based advocate. 'We just find ourselves fortunate as we could have been in the same situation.'
The tragic incident unfolded at 3:30pm on Sunday when the allegedly unsafe iron bridge gave way under the weight of scores of weekend tourists. The structure, already weakened by age and neglect, couldn't withstand the crowd that had gathered to enjoy the scenic beauty of the rain-fed river during the monsoon season.
For Pandey, who has been visiting Kundamala for the past couple of years, the collapse wasn't entirely unexpected. 'We have been visiting this place for the last couple of years, and have witnessed people violating the said orders. The locals used to ply their vehicles over the 'unfit' bridge even when the restriction notice was placed right at the bridge's entry,' she explains.
The irony wasn't lost on her as even on Saturday, when police officials were present near the bridge's entry point, tourists continued to flout restrictions. 'What's the use of such officials if tourists enter the restricted area?' she said.
The transformation of Kundamala from a serene spiritual destination to a crowded tourist hotspot reflects a broader trend across Maharashtra's scenic locations. Sanjay Mali, a resident of nearby Shelarmala village, has witnessed this change firsthand.
'The bridge near Kund Devi temple was originally a spiritual place that was not known to many. However, Instagram reels and other social media platforms made this place popular, and post-pandemic, the crowd coming here has increased significantly, particularly during the monsoon season,' Mali said.
While social media exposure has boosted local tourism and economy, it has also led to overcrowding of infrastructure never designed to handle such volumes. 'The bridge, falling under the irrigation department's jurisdiction, had been crying out for attention for years. No one has taken the repair and maintenance work seriously, and this negligence caused the loss of four innocent lives,' added Mali.
Reflecting on the tragedy, Pandey believes that responsibility lies with multiple stakeholders. 'Every stakeholder has equal responsibility in such incidents. Accountability as to who was responsible for crowd handling must be fixed first. Secondly, tourists should behave responsibly by obeying the notified rules and regulations. And most importantly, the administration must survey the ageing structures and take prompt action to either prohibit entry into them or else repair them.'
'We were just lucky,' said Pandey but her luck came at the cost of others' misfortune. 'Returning to normal life after such a close call isn't easy. Every weekend trip now carries the weight of 'what if.' Every scenic bridge triggers memories of that afternoon when fortune smiled on us and frowned on others,' she added.
