Landslides, floods kill 2 in Konkan; roads, tracks blocked

Heavy rain over Wednesday and Thursday caused severe disruptions in the Konkan. Two deaths were reported from Ratngiri district and traffic on stretches of the Konkan Railway, the Mumbai-Goa Highway and other arterial roads was blocked due to landslides.

Heavy rain over Wednesday and Thursday caused severe disruptions in the Konkan. Two deaths were reported from Ratngiri district and traffic on stretches of the Konkan Railway, the Mumbai-Goa Highway and other arterial roads was blocked due to landslides.

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The bodies of the victims in Ratnagiri had not been recovered at the time of going to press. They were identified as Ganesh Jadhav (Khed) and Sambhaji Patil (Ratnagiri).

Ratnagiri district received 133 mm of rain over a 24-hour period, while Sindhudurg recorded 95 mm. Thane received 85 mm till Thursday evening.

The rest of Maharashtra, barring the Nashik and Nagpur divisions, did not get as much rain.

Trains stopped running on the Rajapur-Vaibhavwadi section of the Konkan Railway, while traffic on other sections slowed down.

Road traffic was affected as Roha’s Kundalika river crossed the danger mark and Nagothane Dam overflowed, posing a threat to towns and villages downstream.

All major rivers, including the Savitri, the Vashishth, the Jagbudi and Sorad, originating from the Western Ghats were on the verge of crossing the danger mark.

“Traffic on the Mumbai-Goa Highway was blocked for over two hours as water from local rivers inundated the highway,” said Vikram Kumar, district collector of Sindhudurg. “Around 50 homes were damaged and reports of more destruction were coming from the interiors.”

By evening, water began receding in Khed, Chiplun and Rajapur towns, though a landslide blocked the Natunagar-Lenari Road.

Police, civic and medical officials in all districts are in a state of high alert to tackle any emergency. More rain has been forecast over the next three days.

Raigad District Collector Subhash Sonawane said that though the district was spared of any casualties or property damage, there were landslides and trees were uprooted in several areas, disrupting traffic.

Thane Resident Deputy Collector Amol Yadav said heavy rain disrupted life in most parts of the district, including Palghar, Vasai-Virar and other towns.