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40 flood survivors take shelter at PMC school
Most of them hail from Nanded and work with PMC’s waste management department as sanitation workers
At least 40 flood-affected families from Wadgaonsheri who are currently residing at the temporary rehabilitation centre in Pune Municipal Corporation run (PMC) school look ahead to gloomy days as the shanties in which they were residing were washed away in the heavy rains. Most of them hail from Nanded and work with PMC’s waste management department as sanitation workers.
Hanmant Kasture one of the flood survivors, who lived in a shanty on the riverbed in Wadgaonsheri with his 98-year-old mother, wife and two kids, said, “I am suffering from high-grade fever since Monday. We are stuck here at the rehabilitation centre with no livelihood, I have lost everything in the floods. I do not know if I will be able to rebuild my little shanty in the same place.”
Pallavi Mortathe along with her sister Jahnvi Mortathe are victims of the flood. Pallavi said, “We are not only studying, but are also working part-time and are supporting our family. We were living in a shanty near the river bank. I work as a waste segregation worker as I have a three-year-old sister and parents who are old. My family is dependent on me.”
“I have no books to study now they were all washed away. How will I purchase them again? I will have to save money and buy them again,” Pallavi added.
Mahadev Jadhav, education officer, Wadgaonsheri, PMC education board, said, “Food and water are provided to the victims at the rehabilitation centre. We are waiting for the water to recede so that they can go back to their homes.”
Light to moderate showers in city this weekend
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate showers in Pune on the weekend.
On Wednesday from 8.30 am to 8.30 am on Thursday, Shivajinagar station recorded mm 2.8 mm rainfall, Lohegaon recorded 0.6 mm rainfall, while Pashan recorded 4.0 mm of rainfall.
Pune had exceeded its average monthly rainfall for August of 117.5 mm in just eight days, till 8.30 am on Thursday, the city received 169 mm of rainfall, said IMD officials.
IMD has forecast very heavy rainfall in Mumbai in the next two days.
According to an IMD official, the depression formed over the Bay of Bengal near West Bengal coast is responsible for heavy to very heavy rain over Mumbai and light to light to moderate showers in Pune and adjoining region.
Meanwhile, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in the next 48 hours in Konkan and Goa. As far as western Maharashtra is concerned IMD has forecast light to heavy rainfall in Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur in the next 48 hours.
Stay indoors, appeals divisional commissioner
Deepak Mhaisekar, Pune divisional commissioner has appealed to the residents to stay indoors. The commissioner addressed a press conference at Council hall, Bund Garden road on Thursday.
“Stay indoors instead of going to watch the flood and click selfies. It would helpful for administration to carry out relief work. The administration is sending relief teams by roads to these areas, it will help them to reach spots earlier if the roads are free,”informed Mhaisekar.
Roads towards Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara have been closed due to heavy rains and flood like situation. Mumbai-Bengaluru highway has also been shut since the past four days.
Pune-Mumbai, Miraj, rail routes continue to be affected
The rail traffic between Pune and Mumbai will continue to be affected for the next two days due to track repairing work undertaken in the ghat between Lonavla and Karjat. Also, trains on the Miraj route will be affected, according to railway officials.
Manoj Jhawar, Pune railway division spokesperson, said, “Since there has been landslide and boulders falling incidents on the railway tracks between Thakurwadi and Monkey Hill in the ghat section, track repair works are going on a war footing.”
“The rail tracks have been damaged due to heavy rains and so the intercity trains have been cancelled till August 11. Due to a similar situation on Miraj route, as there is flood situation in Sangli and Kolhapur trains going towards that route are been either cancelled or diverted via another route,” said Jhawar.
On August 3 boulders set loose by rain-soaked soft soil came crashing on the railway tracks between the Thakurwadi and Monkey Hill Ghat section. Since then the railway route has been closed and around 370 long-distance trains expect the 44 passengers running through this route are either been cancelled, short terminated or diverted to other routes.
Three day holiday of state employees cancelled
Given the flood situation in western Maharashtra, the three-day weekend holidays of all state government employees have been cancelled.
Divisional commissioner Deepak Mhaisekar published a circular in Pune on Friday stating that all state government employees will be working on Saturday, August 10; Sunday, August 11 and Monday, August 12 (Eid Al Adha).
Mhaisekar said, “The government offices in five districts in Pune, Sangli, Kolhapur, Satara and Solapur will be open considering the flood situation in the state.”
“The officials will remain on duty even on Monday despite being a public holiday and provide help in the flood-affected area,” Mhaisekar further added.
