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IMD issues orange alert in Mumbai till July 12; red warning in Telangana, KCR asks officials to be vigilant
Telangana chief minister KCR said that he will be constantly reviewing the situation, and has urged people not to take any risk and step out of their homes unless an emergency.
An orange alert has been issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Mumbai for the next three days. India's financial capital was under ‘red’ alert on Saturday, but it received only 2.2mm of rainfall. However, rain continued to lash several regions of Maharashtra with at least 130 villages in three districts - all in the Vidarbha and Marathwada areas, getting affected by rain and subsequent flooding. Quoting officials, news agency PTI reported that at least 200 people were evacuated.
Gadchiroli, Hingoli and Nanded are the three districts that were most hit following heavy rainfall in the last 24 hours (ending Saturday morning).
On Thursday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) via an order prohibited citizens from venturing into the sea beaches except for the morning hours on days when either a ‘red’ or ‘orange’ alert is in place. The city beaches can only be visited on such days between 6am and 10am, the order issued by BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal stated.
In view of an orange alert in Mumbai till July 12, this particular order remains in place.
Besides Maharashtra, monsoon-triggered rainfall has hit southern state of Telangana wherein roads remain completely or partially inundated. The Met department has issued a red alert in as many as eight districts for the next three days (till July 12). Flooding has been predicted in many places in the north-northwest, northeast districts and the urban regions with waterlogging drainage overflow, news agency ANI reported.
“Agriculture lines are likely to submerge in water. Information shared with concerned authorities,” IMD Hyderabad was quoted as saying.
The weather office further stated that Telangana will receive light to moderate rain over most parts of the state during the next two days.
Nirmal, Adilabad, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Mancherial, Bhadradri Kothagudem, and Nizamabad are eight districts where a ‘red’ alert has been issued.
Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao (popularly known as KCR) has directed chief secretary Somesh Kumar to alert all state departments asking them to be vigilant in view of the heavy rainfall.
The top bureaucrat will hold video conferences with district collectors to make sure the state is prepared to deal with the consequences of the rain. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other rescue teams have also been asked to stay on alert in flood-prone regions of the southern state.
KCR said he will be reviewing the situation constantly, and has also urged people to stop taking any risk during the incessant rain. He appealed to them not to venture out of their homes unless there is an emergency and to take self-precautions.
According to the latest IMD bulletin, widespread rainfall with thunderstorm or lightning is very likely over Maharashtra in the next five days. Meanwhile, heavy to very heavy rainfall has been forecast over Telangana on July 9 and 10.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
