Maharashtra rains: Mumbai, Pune among 11 districts on alert, CM Shinde asks admin to maintain vigil

As per latest inputs from the Maharashtra State Disaster Management Department (SDMC), a total of 76 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents in the state since June 1 and till July 10.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued orange and red alerts in 11 districts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai and Pune, for Thursday (July 14), even as monsoon-triggered rain continues to batter the western state.

Vehicles drive through waterlogged street at Gandhi Market, Sion in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday, July 13, 2022. (Photo by Pratik Chorge/Hindustan Times)

According to the forecast, an orange alert has been issued in Mumbai, Ratnagiri, Kolhapur, Raigad, Amravati, Satara, Sindhudurg, and Thane for tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Met department has given a red warning for Nashik, Pune and Palghar districts.

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde has directed officials to stay vigilant and keep emergency services ready to make sure “no untoward incident occurs” and also all forms of assistance reach the affected people on time.

The Regional Meteorological Center of Mumbai earlier in the day forecast that moderate to heavy rain is likely to occur over the city for the next 24 hours. It further predicted that the possibility of very heavy rainfall is expected in isolated nooks for the next 48 hours.

Heavy rain lashed Mumbai on Tuesday, leading to flooding and waterlogging in many parts of the city. There was no change in the weather on Wednesday too owing to which some areas, including Andheri subway that links the east and west parts of the suburb, were flooded.

There was waterlogging up to 1.5 to 2 feet at the Andheri subway, following which traffic was diverted to the SV Road, a police official said. Traffic snarls were reported at the western express highway too, which connects suburbs to south Mumbai.

In other regions, waterlogging up to one feet at the Bandra-Worli Sea Link gate slowed down traffic in Worli. A tree collapsed in the Bandra-Kurla Complex area due to which traffic was diverted to the JB Junction.

Not just in Mumbai, waterlogging and flooding were reported in other cities or districts of Maharashtra, including Thane and Gadchiroli. A massive landslide in Vasai region, triggered by pounding rain, claimed the lives of at least two persons, while several others went missing. Around 20 personnel and two officers of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Pune rescued two people from the spot.

According to latest inputs from the Maharashtra State Disaster Management Department (SDMC), a total of 76 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents in the state till July 10. As many as 125 animals have also died since June 1. Furthermore, a total of 838 houses were damaged and at least 4,916 people have been shifted to safer locations.

In its latest bulletin, the IMD predicted that widespread rainfall with thunderstorm and lightning to isolated heavy downpours are very likely over Maharashtra during the next five days (till July 18).

(With inputs from ANI, PTI)