Goa prohibits entry to wildlife sanctuaries, waterfalls

On Sunday, Janardhan Sadekar, 55, an LIC officer from Mapusa, and Shivdatt Naik (24), an engineer, who had gone to the Mainapi waterfalls for an excursion as part of separate groups, drowned after they were allegedly pulled in by a strong current. A rescue operation was launched and teams of police, fire department and forest guards were sent to retrieve their bodies.

After the incident, locals of Netravali village had requested the forest department to ban the entry of visitors to the Mainapi waterfalls till additional safety measures were put in place.

Goa has five wildlife sanctuaries – Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park, Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary. During the monsoon, some perennial and seasonal waterfalls are a popular spot among tourists and locals in the coastal state, said officials.

A forest department official said, “In monsoon, there are several seasonal waterfalls that come up. Since the beaches are shut during monsoon, tourists and locals often trek deep into the protected forest areas and into the hinterland for an adventure. The decision to prohibit entry has been taken as a precautionary measure in light of the recent drowning incident.”

Officials said a report has been sought from the zonal deputy conservator of forests for a risk assessment of the seasonal waterfalls and safety measures required.

“Of late, it has been observed that some social media influencers have been promoting hinterland spots inside wildlife sanctuaries. This also drives footfall to such spots, leaving people vulnerable to accidents in monsoon,” the official added.