Rain fury in Thane: 2 teens electrocuted, 1 drowns in drain

Between Friday 8am and Saturday 8am, Thane district received around 889mm of rainfall. The district authorities have issued a high alert and have appealed to the residents to remain indoors on Sunday.

Three people died in separate rain-related incidents in Thane on Saturday. While two teenagers were electrocuted to death, a 30-year-old man drowned in a drain in Diva.

Thane, India - August.03,2019:After heavy Rain in The Thane city Water Logging on Railway track at Thane railway Station Thane ,India, on Saturday, August 03, 2019. ( ) (Praful Gangurde/ HT File Photo)

In the first incident, 14-year-old Manish Chauhan was electrocuted outside Gopal temple in camp 3, Ulhasnagar. An official from Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) said, “On Saturday morning, the boy had accompanied his relative, who sells flowers outside the temple. He climbed the roof of the temple. It was raining heavily and he came in contact with live wires. Chauhan died on the spot. We are yet to establish why he had climbed the roof, but have provided ₹20,000 as compensation to his family. We will take the necessary measures to avert another such incident.”

In a similar incident, Santosh Gole, 18, was electrocuted when he tried to unplug his refrigerator from the socket in Dharamveer Nagar in Thane. Gole was rushed to the Thane Civil Hospital, but was declared dead on arrival.

Santosh Kadam, chief officer of the Regional Disaster Management Cell, said, “Gole resided in Dharamveer Nagar, which witnessed waterlogging. When the water began to enter the homes in the area, Gole wanted to shift his refrigerator to a drier place. When he tried to unplug it, he was electrocuted. ”

In Diva, 30-year-old Sumit Punit drowned in a flooded nullah in Sabe Gaon. His body was retrieved after several hours.

Between Friday 8am and Saturday 8am, Thane district received around 889mm of rainfall. The district authorities have issued a high alert and have appealed to the residents to remain indoors on Sunday.

The Raita bridge connecting Murbad was closed for vehicles after water from the Ulhas River was about to enter the bridge. Deepak Aakade, Kalyan tehsildar, said, “The river level kept increasing till Saturday afternoon and is only two feet below the bridge. We have asked residents along the river bank to be safe.” The authorities have also evacuated occupants of 700 houses in Moray Nagari in Kamba village, after it was flooded owing to the rising water levels of the Ulhas River.

The doors of the Bhatsa dam have been opened after it breached the safety level. Brijkishore Jhavar, district information officer, said, “We have opened five doors of the Bhatsa dam by 2.5 metres to release the water and have also issued an alert to the residents along the Shahpur-Murbad road, Sapgaon bridge and Sapgaon village.”

The catchment area of the Morbe dam in Khalapur, Navi Mumbai, has almost filled up to its maximum capacity of 190.89 million cubic metres after the city received more than 3,000mm rains this year. It is the city’s primary source of water. Manohar Sonawane, executive engineer, Navi Mumbai civic body, said, “There is around 185 million cubic metres of water in the dam. We will open its flap gates and release the water to ensure there is no sudden flooding in the region.” (with inputs from G Mohiuddin Jeddy)