Water parks see surge in footfall as temperature soars

Pune: People are making a beeline for water parks to beat the heat this summer, with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees C.
"Summer vacations are just about to begin for my son, and we are looking forward to visiting nearby water parks. We visit the water parks 2-3 times during school summer vacations," said Sheetal Sanghavi, a resident of Hinjewadi.
"There are some new slides that many water parks have added, so it will be good fun for the entire family. Altogether 25 of us meet and visit a water park during summer as part of our annual family picnic," said Dinesh Kamathe, a resident of Undri.
"We've experienced a significant surge in footfall this summer — up nearly 25% compared to last year. This year, we've expanded our offerings beyond traditional water park experience. We've introduced hop-a-little — an indoor, air-conditioned play zone designed for children, and have launched Copa de Colina, our new hilltop restaurant that stays open till midnight," said Arjun Indulkar, managing director, Diamond Water Park, Lohegaon.
Owing to a flurry of offerings and summer deals, water parks are also seeing a notable uptick in visitors from nearby cities such as Ahmednagar, Solapur, and Nashik. "The rush season will begin next week as some schools are still open. We added some new rides last year and are expecting a good crowd from Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, and Satara," said Nirmala Ghule, owner of Krushnai Water Park, located on Donje Gaon-Sinhagad Road.
Wet 'n Joy water park and amusement park in Lonavala has added 10 new slides this summer. There are also some small group offers and combination tickets available. Officials at water parks said that they are seeing advance ticket bookings for long weekends and holidays. "We went to a water park near Lonavala with friends last week and had a really good time. From this week onwards, there will be a lot of rush and long waits for rides," said Madura Narvekar, a resident of Pashan.
Dhimant Bakshi, CEO of Imagicaa World Entertainment, said that they have launched six new slides this summer at the water park. "This summer, we've witnessed a significant upswing in footfall compared to the previous year. With rising temperatures and a strong appetite for immersive getaways, Imagicaa Water Park has emerged as a go-to destination. We continue to see strong footfalls from Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, and Ahmedabad, along with consistent traffic from across rest of Maharashtra."