Record rainfall causes Mutha River to flood, Singhad Road houses evacuated

Western part of Pune district and city has experienced record-breaking rainfall over the past 24 hours, leading to a series of incidents including landslides

Pune: The western part of Pune district and city has experienced record-breaking rainfall over the past 24 hours, leading to a series of incidents including landslides, flooding, waterlogging, roadblocks, and wall and tree collapses across the district.

A housing society along the banks of Mutha River. HT Photo

As rainfall intensified significantly overnight and water inflow increased in dams, the irrigation department was compelled to release 35,574 cusecs of water from Khadakwasla dam on Thursday at 6 am.

This substantial water release has caused disruptions in Pune City, with housing societies along the Mutha River bank on Sinhgad Road experiencing flooding. According to the Fire Department of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), at least four housing societies within the Ekta Nagari area saw water gushing into their parking lots. This forced locals to evacuate as relief operations were launched by the PMC and district administration.

In the 24 hours ending at 7:30 am, Lonavla received 299 mm of rainfall, Lavasa 417 mm, and Junnar 214 mm, according to data shared by the district administration.

While no loss of life has been reported due to flooding, the deluge has caused significant disturbance to residents in affected societies. The water release has also led to a notable increase in the Mutha River's water level.

Several tree-felling incidents were reported across the city. In Bhavani Peth, a major road was closed to traffic due to a fallen tree. A boundary wall collapse was reported in Wadgaon Budruk.

The continuous heavy rainfall triggered a landslide in Adarwadi village of Maval tehsil, resulting in one fatality.