Against All Odds | Last month’s 5 tragic deaths in Lonavala have spurred a practical initiative to prevent such drownings

Over the last two weeks, however, a more tangible solution has started to take shape—put together by a head honcho and a group of committed professionals who decided that preventive action is more important than aftermath sympathy.

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“Every year the death figures range anywhere from 10 to 20 at different instances at different waterfalls, not just in Lonavala, Khandala but areas which are far and beyond. This had been bothering me for many years. What triggered me into action, though, was the video that I saw of this family of five, with the children struggling and hanging onto their life and finally getting washed away,” says Jimmy Mistry, 53, who owns an adventure park in Lonavala. It is often his team that is involved in rescue operations at such times.

Mistry visited the spot with his senior team members—which included Lieutenant General Raymond Narona and Ganesh Geedh, an expert rock climber—and put together a plan.

“We decided to create a barrier of metal mesh before any drop point that would prevent anyone who may have fallen there from being swept away by the force of water. We have identified about 9-10 different locations to install these and work has started and should be completed in the next two weeks,” says Mistry.

The technique behind the mesh is to have ISMB (Indian standard medium-weight beam) channels and metal channels welded with a base plate and grouted into the floor using Hilti chemical grout, hence making sure that they can sustain the onslaught of water pressure. Once these 6” by 6” wire meshes have been put in place along with thick nylon rope mesh and cables, it is hoped the points will serve as a safety barrier preventing any human being including a child from being washed away.

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A rock climber for 25 years

Spearheading the initiative is Ganesh Geedh, 37, a crack mountain and rock climber who has been at the forefront of many rescues in the past including that of a 26-year-old trekker who fell down a valley near Mahuli Fort and was pulled up after 22 hours and of 17 amateur trekkers who lost their way at the Harishchandragad Hill in Ahmednagar district. Leading a rapid response team of over 100 people at the adventure park, Geedh has at his disposal not just these trained experts but also all the equipment required for emergencies—from torches, walkie-talkie sets, first aid kits and ropes to even tractors and bulldozers that can be mobilised immediately.

“While we have been the rescue team for almost all drownings happening in and around Lonavala for years now, the thought now is that rather than fishing out bodies we should now actively focus on preventing these deaths at places where people flock during the monsoons. We are already halfway through our work from Lonavala to Rajmachi and can say confidently that once done, we should be able to prevent a majority of such tragedies—even with 50 per cent work things should be better,” says Geedh, who has been a rock climber for 25 years now and at the adventure park for 16 years.

A first-of-its-kind initiative

Geedh says that this is the first time such a measure has been put in place. “While railings have been put up in many places for picnickers like at Lions’ Point etc, no one has done this for waterfalls,” says Geedh, who is part of the WhatsApp groups of many mountain climbing groups and rescue teams and rushes to spots whenever there is a notification of any emergency. In fact, he is often called by the administration and forest officials to assist them in such operations.

“We have the practice, the resources and most importantly the commitment to help and save lives. That makes all the difference—and from now should make the difference between life and death,” sums up Geedh, who along with Mistry hopes that the Lonavla tragedy of last month will never be repeated in the future.