On Saturday, this paper carried a report about the popular Pandavkada waterfalls in Kharghar, which has been declared off-limits to revellers as a result of problems arising from their unruly behaviour at the site. This is a real tragedy because one of the high points of the monsoon in Mumbai is that the weather offers quick, scenic getaways close to the city. It is a time to take advantage of the cooling showers, verdant vistas and give choked lungs some much-needed respite from the city’s traffic.

Officials at Pandavkada stated that visitors showed zero regard for the fragile ecosystem of the area. The forest department had little option but to close the waterfall to the public. This though is true of a number of picnic spots near the city. Visitors do not respect nature and post weekends, one can see heaps of trash, plastic, paper and eatables left over by visitors.u00a0