Tourists find Matheran Trails to be unsettling due to the metal wire walls.

Stakeholders warn of injuries and demand immediate action to stop jagged wires protruding out of the rock walls bordering the hill station's walkways, which are exposed to horses and tourists.

                              Image Credit : Pradeep Dhivar

Gabion metal cages installed along the rock walls enclosing the hill station's trails were once installed with the intention of enhancing the scenery in picturesque Matheran, but they have since raised safety issues. Along with harming the horses in the hill station, the sharp metal wires sticking out from the cage walls provide a serious risk to tourists who are out for a stroll.

Regular visitor Kunal Chaudhari noted that the jagged metal wires sticking out of the gabion barriers along the edges of the mud paver block roadways represent a serious risk to horses as well as people. The authorities should take action before any accidents happen because the sharp metal wires can result in serious injury.

"Metal wires popping out of walls along the road will cause puncture or lacerated injuries to horses or riders," noted equine veterinarian Dr. Anil Lahane. Blindness ranging from partial to total after an eye injury. Metal wire injuries would unquestionably require emergency surgical care.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) improved the Dasturi Matheran Pathway and the visitor parking area in addition to beautifying the four viewing sites at Panorama Point, Heart Point, Miyra Point, and Echo Point.

Since Matheran is an eco-sensitive area, the MMRDA takes into consideration all environmental issues and recommendations made by the Matheran Monitoring Committee (MMC), which was established in 2017. The project began in April 2018. In September 2019, the Dasturi Matheran Pathway's beautification project was completed.

No vehicles, excluding ambulances and fire engines, are permitted past Dasturi naka due to restrictions imposed in Matheran's eco-sensitive area. The 5.6 km of paths beyond Dasturi naka were dusty kutcha roads that required constant upkeep and made it challenging to walk and draw carts with cargo. 

In order to address these issues, the MMRDA recommended upgrading the pathways with street lighting and other facilities while taking into account the MMC's requirements for water percolation, soil erosion avoidance, and use of eco-friendly materials. It developed eco-friendly mud paver blocks to use in the paving of the kutcha walkways.

News Source : MID-DAY