Heavy rain ravages Maharashtra: 13 dead, 10 injured, ‘Red Alert’ issued for hill stations

Mumbai, July 7 (IANS) Over the past two days, torrential rains accompanied by strong winds have battered Maharashtra, claiming 13 lives and injuring 10 others. The State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) reported that around 100 houses have been damaged, leaving hundreds of people homeless due to severe flooding.

Data from the last 24 to 48 hours highlights the intensity of the downpour across the coastal and western regions. Lonavala recorded a staggering 625 mm (24.71 inches) of rain in the last 48 hours. Raigad received 236 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, Thane got 161 mm, Ratnagiri clocked 152 mm, Palghar averaged 132 mm and Mumbai registered between 100 mm and 161 mm across various sectors.

Water bodies across the state are overflowing rapidly. The Ulhas, Kalu, and Pinjal rivers have crossed their warning levels. Amba, Savitri, Kundalika, Patalganga, Jagbudi, and Ulhas rivers have breached their danger marks. Consequently, flood alerts have been issued for Badlapur, Mohane, and Jambhulpada.

Tragic incidents were reported from multiple districts as infrastructure buckled under the pressure of the storm.

In Mumbai, six people were killed and one was injured in the Mankhurd area when a building collapsed onto a slum cluster.

Additionally, one person died in the suburbs due to a tree falling. In Thane, two people sustained injuries when a portion of a building collapsed. In Palghar and Sindhudurg, one drowning fatality was reported in each district. High-velocity winds also caused the collapse of 30 houses in Sindhudurg. In Satara, a landslide resulted in one death and left four people injured.

A ‘Red Alert’ has been issued for hill stations including Matheran, Lonavala, Khopoli, and Lohagad due to an imminent threat of landslides caused by continuous heavy rainfall.

Two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed to these areas. In the Mawal taluka of Pune district, four citizens were trapped after a landslide hit a house in Patan.

In another incident near Talegaon-Dabhade, a bus carrying 25 passengers got stranded in floodwaters. All passengers were safely rescued by the NDRF.

In the Sudhagad taluka of Raigad district, six members of a family—including a six-month-old infant—were stranded on their roof due to rising floods. Since the roads leading to the village were completely submerged, rescuers used boats to safely evacuate them.

Traffic disruption was reported on major highways due to blockages. On Mumbai-Goa Highway, traffic ground to a halt after a landslide in the Kashedi Ghat. On Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Khopoli Highway, landslides and heavy waterlogging suspended traffic, though authorities managed to restore movement by the afternoon.

The Mawal and Tamhini Ghat was affected heavily by landslides and flooding, prompting traffic to be diverted to alternative routes.

Meanwhile, in stark contrast to the deluge hitting the rest of the state, the Vidarbha region is still awaiting its monsoon spell. Districts including Wardha, Akola, Amravati, Yavatmal, and Chandrapur have recorded no rainfall during this period.

–IANS

sj/rad