Heavy Rain triggers Flooding, Landslides Across Maharashtra

Mumbai: Heavy rains continued to lash Maharashtra and normal life was disrupted in many parts of Maharashtra. Flood-like conditions have emerged in many areas and rivers have exceeded danger levels. Meteorological officials warned that heavy rain, strong winds and rough sea conditions may continue in the coming days.

As a precautionary measure due to heavy rainfall, the State Government declared a holiday for schools and colleges in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad districts on Monday. Mumbai city recorded 57 mm of rainfall while the suburbs recorded 90 mm. Puddles of water were observed in many low-lying parts of the city. Local trains were delayed by 15-20 minutes due to waterlogging on the tracks between Nalasopara and Vasai on the Western Railway. While traffic between Mumbai and Pune has returned to normal, traffic on the Mumbai-Nashik highway was also affected due to the landslide in the Kasara Ghat section.

Palghar district in the Konkan region bore the brunt of heavy rains, with Dahanu recording a whopping 399 mm of rainfall. The Surya and Vaitarna rivers have crossed the danger mark and the inundation in the Tansa River has created flood-like conditions in many areas. There was a power outage in Vasai, Virar, Saphale and Wada districts.

In Raigad’s Poladpur taluka, 70 residents were shifted to a safe place after cracks appeared on the Naneghol hill. Savitri River in Mahad and Jagbudi River in Dapoli district are flowing above the danger level. The soil under the gabion bridge at Ratnagiri’s Parshuram Ghat was washed away and a landslide occurred in Shelarwadi.

Nashik district witnessed heavy rains with Igatpuri recording the highest rainfall of 200 mm. Other talukas like Trimbakeshwar (125 mm) and Surgana (149 mm) also received heavy rainfall. For security reasons, the famous Saptashrungi Gad and Trimbakeshwar Temple premises in the area have been closed to devotees. More than 40 villages were cut off after a bridge on the Trimbakeshwar-Khodala route was submerged. Police security has been increased along the river bed in Ramkund district due to the rising water level of Godavari River.

Pabe Ghat road was completely closed after the landslide in Velhe village in Pune district. Varadi Bridge on the Pune-Panshet route was flooded due to heavy rain. Rains also affected the Pune Metro and water leakage was reported at Swargate Metro station. Following the significant increase in water levels in 22 dams in the region, water discharge from Khadakwasla Dam has started.

Landslides in the Kandati Valley in Satara district have cut off access to 16 villages and Ambenali Ghat, which connects Poladpur and Mahabaleshwar, has been completely closed to traffic for the next month. While the water level of the Panchganga River in Kolhapur has reached 35 meters, heavy rains continue around the Chandoli Dam in Sangli.

While floods have wreaked havoc in Konkan and Western Maharashtra regions, many parts of Marathwada and Vidarbha are still expecting heavy rainfall. This sharp disparity in rainfall has worried farmers and planting operations have been postponed in many regions.