Landslide on Lonavala-Rajmachi route strands tourists and buries road
A massive landslide triggered by heavy rainfall on Saturday afternoon washed away and buried a significant section of the Lonavala–Rajmachi route in the Western Ghats, Pune. The incident, which occurred between 12:35 PM and 1:00 PM, severed the direct road connection between Lonavala and Rajmachi, stranding dozens of tourists and vehicles.
The landslide washed away nearly 100 feet of the road and buried another 100 to 125 feet under a deluge of rocks, mud, and debris. The scale of the destruction rendered the critical route completely inaccessible to any vehicular traffic.
Approximately 30 to 35 cars and two-wheelers were stranded along the route following the collapse. Numerous tourists who were visiting the nearby Rajmachi Fort and the Kataldhar Waterfall found themselves stuck due to the blocked road. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the incident, and some tourists who were travelling on foot managed to safely walk back to Lonavala on their own.
Local villagers and staff from Della Resorts quickly stepped in to assist the stranded visitors and initiate rescue and restoration efforts. Villagers played a crucial role by helping stranded tourists reach safer locations, sharing important information, and coordinating directly with the rescue teams. Della Resorts deployed workers and JCB machines to begin the arduous task of clearing the massive pile of debris from the road.
Upon receiving information about the incident, Lonavala Police Inspector Sachin Patil and the Kamshet Police Inspector visited the site to assess the situation firsthand. Officials estimated that fully restoring the road and clearing the debris could take between one and two days.
The incident has renewed safety concerns among residents regarding the approximately 16-kilometre road connecting Lonavala to Rajmachi during the monsoon season. Local residents and villagers have repeatedly demanded permanent strengthening and safety measures for the route, urging the administration to implement long-term solutions to protect commuters and tourists from increasingly frequent landslides and flooding in the Western Ghats.
