Palghar, Maharashtra: Heavy monsoon rains triggered a landslide at the famous Mahalaxmi Fort in Dahanu taluka of Palghar district, damaging the pedestrian pathway leading to the historic hill shrine and forcing authorities to temporarily close the site to visitors and devotees.
District officials said continuous rainfall weakened the hillside and caused part of the access path to collapse as well. As a precautionary measure, the district administration has prohibited entry to the fort until restoration work is completed and the road is safe for public use.
Fortunately, no injuries or deaths were reported in the incident.
The restoration work has been launched on a war footing, with teams cleaning up the destroyed hillside, stabilising the damaged hillside and rebuilding the path. Residents are also helping authorities clean up fallen trees, mud and damaged materials from the affected area.
The landslide caused extensive damage to the infrastructure surrounding the fort. Several trees were uprooted, and electricity poles were damaged along the route, affecting local services. Iron safety railings that pilgrims needed to climb the hill were also swept away or badly damaged in the landslide.
Maharashtra is under heavy monsoon activity this year, with heavy rainfall increasing the risk of landslides, flooding and infrastructure damage in hilly and coastal areas, particularly.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange Alert for Palghar district, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, and gusty winds reaching speeds of 50–60 kmph in some places.
Residents and tourists have been asked to avoid going to landslide-prone areas in adverse weather and follow official weather advisories.
Earlier this month, severe monsoon conditions led to 20 rain-related deaths in Palghar district. Property and infrastructure losses were estimated to be around ₹170 crore as a result of heavy rains in this year's monsoon, officials said.
Mahalaxmi Fort is a famous religious and tourist spot and draws thousands of devotees every year. The shrine will remain closed until engineers are sure that the access route is structurally safe now that repair work is underway, the government says.
Public safety is the top priority at this time, and the public must not try to get to the fort until further notice, they said.
