The Thane district collector recently ordered a ban on visiting the famous Kondeshwar and Barvi dam areas in Ambarnath taluka following heavy downpour in the regions. However, the ban was criticized by the people. A Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from the Murbad Assembly constituency has also raised questions over this, saying that he will be appealing to the district collector to lift the imposed ban.
Opposing the ban, MLA Kisan Kathore said, "If accidents happen in such places, take measures to prevent them but don't just ban the tourist destinations."
"Thane district has abundant natural resources and during the rainy season, various attractions and waterfalls come alive. A large number of tourists come from the Mumbai suburbs to visit these tourist destinations. Due to this tourism, a different local economy has emerged in the Thane district. However, instead of taking precautionary measures, the district administration has directly banned these nature tourist destinations and it has been going on for the last four years. This year too, tourists have been banned from visiting the famous Kondeshwar Falls and Barvi Dam area in Ambernath taluka. The farmers and locals of the area also suffer because of this," Kathore further added.
The BJP MLA further said that Kondeshwar is a famous tourist and religious place in Ambernath taluka. If accidents happen in these places, they need to be taken care of with the help of the police. The police can be used to control the crowd to avoid any mishap. "It is unfortunate to impose a total ban in the name of accidents. Everyone has the right to enjoy nature. I will soon appeal to the authorities against the ban decision," added Kathore.
Rakesh Singh, a resident of Badlapur said, "Many tourists from various parts of the city visit Kondeshwar and Barvi dam during monsoon for fun but due to the ban, tourists have stopped coming. I have heard that local MLA Kishan Kathore from the area will be appealing to the authorities to reconsider the ban so now it will be important to see whether the decision will be reconsidered or not."
