5 dead, 1 missing as heavy rains lash Konkan, western, northern Maharashtra

Ten teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in the coastal districts of Konkan

Mumbai: Heavy rains disrupted normal life in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and other districts of Konkan and parts of western Maharashtra on Monday as roads, railway tracks, bridges, farmland and some residential areas were submerged, and hundreds of families were shifted to safer places. Four persons died after being struck by lightning, one person died due to drowning and another person went missing after being swept away by flood waters.

Pune district continued to receive heavy rainfall on Monday causing traffic jams and water logging (Mahendra Kolhe/HT)

Ten teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in the coastal districts of Konkan along with Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur districts in western Maharashtra. Three teams of the NDRF have been permanently deployed in Mumbai while one team has been permanently deployed in Palghar. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered administration to be on high alert for rescue and relief work.

The southwest monsoon reached Maharashtra on Sunday, marking the earliest arrival of the season in the state in at least 35 years. On Monday, rains continued to lash the entire Kokan region including Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and parts of western Maharashtra in Kolhapur, Satara, Pune, Solapur, Sangli. In northern Maharashtra, Sinnar tehsil in Nashik district and parts of Ahilya Nagar district experienced heavy rains. The state disaster control department on Monday deployed additional NDRF teams at several places including two in Mumbai.

According to information from state officials, 30-year-old Roshan Kalekar, a farmer, died due to lightening in his farm at Karjat in Raigad district. Two other farmers died and six suffered burn injuries due to the lightening in Ahemedpur tehsil in Latur district while they were working in the farm. The deceased were identified as Vikram Karale, 55, and Ranjanabai Samudhay, 55.

In Kalyan taluka, a 16-year-old boy, Yash Late, died after being struck by lightning during a storm. Four calves were also killed as lightning struck a cowshed belonging to Gurunath Kashinath Bangar. Avinash Bhoir, 30, drowned in the Chikhloli dam while swimming with friends and his body was recovered by the Ambarnath fire brigade.

In Ratnagiri, 48-year-old Rajendra Kolambe was swept away in flood waters while he was crossing a bridge in Dapoli tehsil on his bicycle. The rains also led to flooding of major rivers and submergence of areas along the banks including temples, farms and villages.

A total of 48 people were rescued from flood waters in Solapur, Pune and Satara district while five persons were rescued from the Pandav Kada waterfall near Kharghar. The Sinnar area of Nashik district also witnessed heavy rains, causing major losses for onion farmers.

In Mumbai, rail and road traffic was affected as railway tracks and roads were submerged in several places and roads were swept away in flood waters in some areas. Several roads in the Konkan region, such as the road from Mahad to Raigad fort, were closed for vehicles due to waterlogging. The Ulhas river was flowing close to the warning level near Badlapur while the Jagbudi river in Ratnagiri was flowing above the danger mark.

Satish Kumar Khadke, director of the state disaster control room, said the situation was being monitored continuously and respective district administrations were being alerted to forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) regarding rains.

“For Tuesday, a red alert has been issued for Kolhapur, Satara, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts,” said Khadke.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis reviewed the situation with chief secretary Sujata Saunik and other state officials. He ordered the administration to remain on alert 24x7 for rescue and relief work in case of emergencies. Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde and disaster management minister Girish Mahajan also visited the state disaster control room to review the situation.