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Rain floods houses, roads in Thane; people rescued in boats
Heavy downpour since Friday night brought Thane city to a standstill.
Heavy downpour since Friday night brought Thane city to a standstill.
There was waterlogging not only in the low-lying areas but also in posh areas on Ghodbunder Road, service roads and internal roads. Since Friday evening, the city saw a heavy downpour which intensified in the morning, throwing normal life out of gear.
Thane received more than 100mm of rainfall overnight, with the intensity increasing after 6am. People woke up to waterlogged roads and heavy rain.
Sagar Gajre, 35, a resident of Waghbil, said, “The service road near D-mart, Vijay Vilas Complex and Hiranandani Estate complex was waterlogged. Water was knee-deep and most of us chose not to venture out. These areas are not prone to flooding. However, heavy rainfall has led to flooding in our locality.”
The service road at Manpada, near Dosti Imperia complex, was flooded with water in the morning, making it difficult to commute. Areas near Yeoor and Gavand Baug were submerged in rain water.
Water entered most houses at Hajuri, Sambhaji Nagar and Chikhalwadi. Around 400 houses at Hajuri were submerged in water.
Sanjay Bhalerao, 38, a resident of Sambhaji Nagar, said, “Water, which spilled from a nearby nullah, started entering out homes since 6am. The water was over our knees and all our belongings were destroyed in water.”
Around 39 spots in Thane were waterlogged.
Civic commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal said, “The rainfall recorded between 7am to 9am was more than 100mm. There was a high tide in the afternoon, so all our officials were alert. There was waterlogging at more than 39 places on Saturday morning. We set up water pumps to drain out water. Our boats and Thane Disaster Response Force team is also on field. We have also coordinated with all the other agencies such as police and collector’s office.”
Water enters Vrundavan Srirang
The entire Srirang Vrundavan housing society in Thane (West), which is in a low-lying area, was flooded. More than 60 people were rescued in boats by Thane disaster management team.
Chandrahas Tawade, a city-based activist who lives in Srirang, said, “Rutu Park nullah flooded by 7.15am and water entered around 100-150 homes in the area. Around 100 shops were also flooded with water.”
There was waist-high water in most areas. Disaster management team personnel used boats and ropes to rescue people.
TMT bus services hit
The heavy downpour hit public transport services in Thane as Thane Municipal Transport suspended long-distance services including Borivli, Nallasopara and Bhiwandi. A video of water entering TMT bus at Mankoli Naka in Bhiwandi went viral raising concerns over safety of passengers.
TMT had kept Volvo and air-condition bus services off the roads.
Sandeep Malvi, TMT manager, said, “Only 49 out of the 80 buses left Wagale depot. A total of 160 out of 180 buses left Anandnagar and 20 out of the 25 buses from Kalwa depot plied on Saturday. Water entered a couple of low-floored buses at Manpada and Mankoli, so we decided not to ply Volvo and AC buses.”
