Power cuts, traffic congestions reported in parts of Pune amid rains
The rainfall on the pre-Diwali day disrupted the plans of small vendors as many are selling festival-related goods including firecrackers, flowers, and other necessary items used for Diwali pooja and decoration on the streets
A sudden intense spell of rain across the city caught citizens unaware and many were inconvenienced as their preparedness for the festive season was hampered by the downpour. While the water logging and low visibility caused inconvenience to commuters, the fire department recorded an incident of the wall collapsing in the Balajinagar area. A major power cut issue was also reported in the Kothrud on Friday evening.
The rainfall on the pre-Diwali day disrupted the plans of small vendors as many are selling festival-related goods including firecrackers, flowers, and other necessary items used for Diwali pooja and decoration on the streets. To attract prospective buyers, many shopkeepers have set up colourful lighting and clothes and have kept them for display outside the shops. However, the precipitation caused losses to these shopkeepers as well as small vendors along the roadside.
Anuj Tripathi, a shopkeeper in Balajinagar said, “We have a range of shops in our area, selling vegetables, clothing and electronic products. On the eve of the Diwali festival, many shops have been well-decorated. Many of us have kept some items outside the shops for display as the festival approaches. But due to the sudden rains, those items got wet, and chances are there that those items are getting damaged as they are drenched in rain. small vendors are facing a difficult situation.”
Centrally located market areas have been witnessing huge footfall for Diwali-related shopping, however, waterlogging incidents made things tricky for motorists and pedestrians alike.
Waterlogging, traffic congestion
With the onset of vacations, many were travelling back to their hometowns to celebrate the festival with their families. However, rain-induced traffic congestion across many roads in the city made their journey cumbersome. The sudden rain caused a delay in people’s transit from their homes to the airport, bus, or railway station when they were racing to board flights, buses, or trains.
Massive waterlogging was reported in the Aundh, Satara Road, and Sinhagad Road areas, causing traffic to be blocked for more than an hour. Waterlogging slowed down state transport buses headed to Satara, Konkan, Kolhapur, and Sangli, particularly on Satara Road.
Rahul Mane, a resident from Wadgaonsheri said, “I was travelling from Pune railway station to Kharadi, but due to the low visibility, there were difficulties in riding my two-wheeler. Although I wore a helmet, the visibility issue persisted.”
Wall collapse in Balajinagar
An incident of boundary wall collapse was reported at Balajinagar at around 6 pm on Friday. The boundary wall of Sadguru Society (next to the drain) near Ram Mandir collapsed from one side due to heavy rain. A car which was parked near the wall was damaged. There were no casualties reported in this incident said Pradeep Khedekar, fire officer, PMC Fire Department. Meanwhile, according to fire department authorities, there has been no news of a tree falling in the city.
Kothrud experiences a major power cut
Intense rain led to severe power outages in some areas of the city, but electricity was quickly restored. However, a major issue was experienced in Kothrud, where the power supply was disrupted for almost two hours.
An official from MSEDCL said,” In Kothrud many power cut issues were reported, while the power supply in half of the affected area was restored within a short period, the restoration work was going on in other areas till late in the night.”