A 20-year-old from Belagavi, Aditya Satpati, drowned while bathing at the Barajan waterfall near Sural, located in the core protected zone of the Mhadai Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa, recently. His body was recovered on Monday, and on Tuesday the Goa Forest Department registered a case against five Belagavi youths who had accompanied him for entering the restricted area without authorisation.
The Mhadei Sanctuary, including its buffer zone, is officially closed to visitors, yet a group of six young tourists from Belagavi is reported to have entered the area illegally. Aditya drowned while bathing at the waterfall, and news of his death has caused shock in the region. The incident has also renewed concerns over safety measures at the site. Despite signboards placed at multiple points across the sanctuary warning against entry, it appears that tourists from Belagavi and other places continue to enter illegally and indulge in unruly behaviour.
The Goa Forest Department has booked the five youths who accompanied Aditya under the Wildlife Protection Act for unauthorised entry into the sanctuary. Officials have also announced a complete ban on entry to the sanctuary and the waterfall following repeated violations of this kind.
Reports indicate that on Sunday, hundreds of young visitors from Karnataka and Goa, including several from Belagavi, arrived at the waterfall for recreation. Forest personnel on duty initially stopped them from entering, but sources allege the group was later let through. This has raised serious questions about the forest department’s role and accountability in enforcing the entry ban.