Heavy rain batters Maharashtra; school holiday declared, WFH advisory issued for Mumbai

Mumbai, July 7 (IANS) Maharashtra continued to reel under the impact of torrential rainfall on Tuesday, with heavy showers disrupting normal life across several districts, including Mumbai and Pune.

Authorities declared a holiday for all schools in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and Haveli Taluka, while the Maharashtra State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) advised private offices in Mumbai to allow employees to work from home.

It also announced that non-essential government offices in the financial capital would function for only half a day in view of the prevailing weather conditions.

Several parts of Mumbai remained waterlogged following incessant rainfall over the past three days, leading to traffic congestion and disruptions in daily life. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange Alert for the region, warning of continued heavy rainfall.

Considering the adverse weather conditions, Pune District Collector and Chairperson of the District Disaster Management Authority, Jitendra Dudi, declared a holiday for all primary, secondary, and higher secondary schools located within the Pune Municipal Corporation, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, and Haveli Taluka.

The decision was taken to ensure the safety of students amid continuous heavy rainfall, reports of landslides in the Ghat sections, and the IMD’s weather warning. The holiday applies to Zilla Parishad schools, municipal schools, Ashramshalas (residential schools for tribal students), private aided and unaided institutions, English-medium schools, and all Anganwadi centres.

However, the administration has directed all headmasters, teachers, and non-teaching staff to report to their respective schools during regular office hours and remain available to assist the local administration in disaster management and emergency response activities.

The district administration has also appealed to residents to remain vigilant and venture outdoors only if absolutely necessary until weather conditions improve.

Meanwhile, the continuous downpour has significantly increased the water level of the Bhima River. Authorities said the river’s discharge at Daund has reached 97,700 cusecs, raising concerns about a possible flood-like situation in low-lying areas. The increase in discharge is attributed to the release of large volumes of water from upstream dams following sustained rainfall across Pune district.

In Indapur, heavy rainfall in the Western Ghats has resulted in a massive inflow into the Ujani Dam. Officials said around 1,45,561 cusecs of water is currently flowing towards the reservoir through the Bhima River, causing the river channel to flow at full capacity.

The water storage in the Ujani Dam has witnessed a notable rise over the last 48 hours, with an increase of nearly 4.25 Thousand Million Cubic (TMC). Officials stated that while the dam’s live storage level stood at minus 27.96 per cent on July 5, it has now improved to minus 20.21 per cent due to the continuous inflow of water.

At present, the reservoir holds approximately 52.83 TMC of water, marking a significant improvement in storage levels. Authorities said that if heavy rainfall continues over the Western Ghats in the coming days, the water level in the dam is expected to rise further.

Mumbai and its suburbs have also continued to experience relentless rainfall for the third consecutive day. During the past 48 hours, the city division recorded nearly 300 mm of rainfall, while the eastern suburbs received around 380 mm and the western suburbs recorded approximately 345 mm.

Accompanied by strong winds with speeds ranging between 70 and 80 kmph, the heavy rainfall prompted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to activate its entire emergency response machinery.

The BMC’s Disaster Management Department has been monitoring the situation round the clock, deploying special teams to vulnerable locations to respond promptly to incidents such as tree falls, short circuits, and partial or complete collapses of dilapidated structures.

To minimise flooding, civic authorities have pressed high-capacity dewatering pumps, suction equipment, and additional manpower into service to clear waterlogged roads and restore normalcy as quickly as possible.

The BMC has also convened a Special General Body Meeting for July 9, during which rain-related preparedness, infrastructure challenges, and emergency response measures are expected to be discussed in detail.

–IANS

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