More than 400 residents shifted to safer locations as rains wreaked havoc in Thane district

Rains cause flooding in Thane district, leading to rescue of 400 residents, closure of major roads and bridges, and water scarcity for next two days.

Thane: Rains battered most parts of Thane district on Thursday, leading to widespread flooding and necessitating rescue operations across Kalyan and Ambernath, along with nearby areas. Around 400 residents whose houses were inundated were rescued and relocated to nearby safe locations. Additionally, four major roads and bridges were closed due to overflowing rivers.

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According to the weather department, the district received 180 mm of rain in the 24 hours ending 8:30 am on Thursday, bringing this season’s total to 1,424 mm. Ulhasnagar received 136 mm of rain while Kalyan got 114 mm of rain followed by Murbad at 228 mm, Bhiwandi at 110 mm and Shahapur recorded 80 mm.

In light of the heavy downpour, the Ulhas and Kalu rivers breached the alert level mark in Thane district on Thursday morning. The Ulhas River, which flows through four major city areas—Jambhulpada, Badlapur, Ambernath and Mohane Village—was placed on high alert. Officials from respective areas, including the Badlapur and Ambernath municipal councils, tehsildar, and other revenue department officials, evacuated 230 residents who were living near the river, including 30 children from Ashram school.

Resident Amol Parab from Jambhulpada said, “The water level in the river started rising last night, and we were all preparing for alternatives to avoid a situation like the July 26, 2005 floods. In the morning, tehsil authorities arrived and assisted us in safely evacuating our homes before the water level rose and submerged our houses.”

Similarly, according to officials, due to the Kalu River exceeding its capacity level, 156 residents from Kalyan, Titwala, and nearby areas were asked to relocate to their relatives’ places.

The Thane district PRO said the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team in Thane was closely coordinating with local authorities to provide necessary response when needed.

Bridges underwater

Major bridges, including the Rayate bridge on Kalyan Nagar Highway, connecting the city have been closed due to submergence in water.

Roads linking villages from Neral (Raigad) to the Badlapur and Kalyan regions were also affected. The Chikhli bridge on the Murbad-Shahapur route and the Ghorla bridge near Murbad were closed, prompting about 100 residents to relocate. The Kalyan-Murbad road was completely closed until Thursday evening.

In the Shilphata area of Mumbra under Thane city, water levels rose to two to three feet, affecting connectivity between Thane, Navi Mumbai, and Pune.

Thane city and suburbs

In Thane city, residents were confined indoors due to waterlogging at multiple key locations in Ghodbunder, Mumbra, and Kalyan areas. In the Shilphata area of Mumbra, heavy rains caused water accumulation of two to three feet, similar to the situation in Patlipada of Ghodbunder area.

The city park in Kalyan West near Yogi Dham, inaugurated by the CM last year for a 70 crore project, is now damaged due to the rainwater.

The PRO of Thane district collector’s office said, “All necessary precautions were taken to rescue and evacuate nearby villages. A meeting was held in the afternoon with the CM, collector, and other officials. Following the guidance provided, important areas are already under surveillance, and all residents have been attended to.”

Water scarcity for the next two days

The water purification centre at the Mohili purification plant was shut down after water from the overflowing Ulhas River entered the plant. Some parts of Prabhat Ghat, Titwala, Umbarni, Balyani, Atali, Ambivli, Mohane, Vadvali, and Kalyan West are expected to face water cuts. After the river water levels recede, the purification centre will need to be restarted to effectively manage the water supply,” said the district authority.