Bhiwandi lashed by heavy rain, water level of Thane’s Bhatsa dam rises

Bhiwandi in Thane district received the highest amount of rainfall of Tuesday at 130mm, with Ulhasnagar recording 105mm, followed by Kalyan at 92.20mm. In comparison, the regional disaster management cell (RDMC) reported 45.18mm rain in Thane city.

The city of Navi Mumbai received an average 62mm rainfall between 8.30am and 6.30pm on Tuesday. According to the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s (NMMC) disaster management cell, Nerul received the highest amount of rainfall (67mm), followed by Airoli (62.6mm), Belapur (62mm) and Vashi (56.4mm).

Showers in the past five days in Thane, Kalyan, Badlapur, Ulhasnagar and Ambernath have led to a dangerous rise in water levels of Ulhas and Waldhuni rivers. Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has alerted those living near these water bodies to move to safer places.

The heavy downpour led to at least 12 reported tree-fall incidents on Tuesday in Thane. “Trees and branches fell in Thane-Belapur road, Shreerang society, Panchpakhadi, Pokhran road, Kharegaon-Kalwa, Wagle Estate and Teen Hath naka. No one was injured,” said an official from the RDMC, Thane.

There was also an increase in the water level of Thane’s Bhatsa dam. “Five gates of the dam were opened on Tuesday evening and a total of 444 cubic metres per second (cumecs) of water has been discharged. The villages near the dam have been alerted,” said an official from the disaster management cell.

The catchment area of Morbe dam in Navi Mumbai received 134mm rainfall between Monday and Tuesday. The water level of the dam came up to 84.78 metres, a few metres short of its overflow level at 88m.

On Tuesday, a total of six tree-fall incidents were reported across the city. However, no one suffered injuries.