Heavy rains wreaked havoc in Maharashtra's Pune, where at least four persons died in rain-related incidents on Thursday, while several houses and residential societies in low-lying areas in the city were inundated, following which people are being evacuated, officials said.
The Khadakwasla Dam reached full capacity following heavy rain in the region.
According to India Meteorological Department, Shivajinagar in Pune city received 114 mm of rainfall in 24 hours ending at 8. 30 am on Thursday, the third-highest in a single day in 66 years.
At 130.4 mm, the highest 24-hour July rainfall in Shivajinagar in central Pune was recorded on July 19, 1958, followed by 117.9 mm on July 27, 1967, they said.
A holiday has been declared for schools, colleges and other educational institutes in Raigad district and Pune city on Thursday in the wake of heavy rainfall, officials said.
A similar order has been issued for Wada and Vikramgad talukas in Palghar district.
Both these districts lie in the coastal region of Maharashtra.
During his tour of the district, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said as a precautionary measure, Army teams have been deployed at Ekta Nagar in Sinhagad Road, while NDRF personnel are also in the area.
He also said rescue operations are underway at the site of a landslide in Lavasa in which some bungalows have been affected and three persons are feared trapped.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a 'red alert' for Pune district and asked people to take precautions.
In the city, housing societies in the low-lying areas, such as Sinhagad Road, Bavdhan, Baner and Deccan Gymkhana, witnessed flooding and inundation and efforts have been launched by the fire brigade and disaster management cell of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to evacuate the stranded people, the officials said.
"Currently there is no flooding in Sinhagad Road and all those who needed to be shifted to safety have been moved. Arrangements have been made for meals, clothes and other relief materials for those who have been evacuated," Pawar said.
Queried about residents of Sinhagad Road complaining about not being informed about water being released from Khadakwasla Dam, he said the process started early Thursday morning.
The water release and heavy rains aggravated the situation but deployment of relief mechanisms was done in advance and people were taken to safety, Pawar asserted.
Pune district collector Suhas Diwase said that in the wake of heavy rains in the Khadakwasla dam's catchment area, water has been released from the reservoir.
"As the catchment areas of Khadakwasla dam has been witnessing incessant rains, water is being released at over 35,000 cusec and it will further increase to 45,000 cusec. Due to the water discharge, several low lying areas along the Mutha river witnessed inundation and flooding," he said.
Later in the afternoon, Pawar said water from Khadakwasla reservoir was being released at 35000 cusecs but now it has been reduced to 15000 cusecs.
"I have told officials from the irrigation department that if they want to release the water from Khadakwasla, they can do it before it gets dark.
If the water release is increased after it gets dark, those living in the low lying areas along the Mutha river may have to suffer hardships. ," he said.
"If we can empty the reservoir to some extent and if there are rains during the night, the reservoir will have capacity to store the water.
The capacity of the Khadakwasla reservoir is around 3 TMC.
Instructions have also been given to release water through the canals at different dams in Pune district," said Pawar.
Mulshi Dam is almost filling up and officials have been asked to use the water for power generation, the Deputy CM said.
Coordination is underway with the district administration of Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara to monitor the rain situation, while NDRF and SDRF teams are at critical spots as a precautionary measure, Pawar asserted.
About 400 people were evacuated to safety on Thursday following flooding in Sinhagad Road and some other areas along the riverbank in Pune city due to incessant rains, officials said.
Two columns of the Army were deployed in Sinhagad Road area which was severely affected by flooding, they said.
Besides, teams of the NDRF, fire brigade as well as the district and city disaster management cells were pressed into service to carry out relief operations.
Water entered several housing societies and houses in low-lying areas along the Sinhagad Road.
Cars and two-wheelers stood in water.
"So far 400 people from Sinhagad Road area have been shifted to safety," said Suhas Divsae, district collector.
Army personnel were helping with relief operations in Ekta Nagar in Sinhagad Road area, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a red alert for Raigad district for Wednesday and Thursday.
The district has been receiving heavy showers over the past few days, which resulted in several rivers, including Kundalika, Amba and Savitri, flowing above the danger mark, which has led to disruption in communication networks, officials said.
The administration has requested the teaching staff to report for duty and assist other personnel in disaster management efforts.
In Palghar, the district collector Govind Bodke issued an order declaring a holiday for all educational institutions in Wada and Vikramgad talukas on Thursday following very heavy rainfall, an official release said.
The weather bureau has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at places with the possibility of extremely heavy showers at isolated places and given an orange alert for the entire district, the order said.
Based on the ground report received from the tehsildars of Wada and Vikramgad talukas, a holiday has been declared there for all private and public educational institutions in the talukas, the collector's order added.
With Khadakwasla Dam reaching full capacity, the Pune administration increased the speed and released the water into the Mutha River on Thursday at 6:00 am at a rate of 40,000 cusecs.
Earlier on Thursday, at 4:00 am, water was released at a speed of 27203 cusecs. An alert has been issued to the residents living along the riverbanks to be careful.
Additionally, due to heavy rains in Pune on Wednesday night, water entered the houses and buildings located in Ekta Nagri and Vitthal Nagar areas.
The Pune Fire Department has brought boats to evacuate the people from the residences.
Three men died of electrocution in the early hours of Thursday while trying to move their handcart that got submerged due to waterlogging, police said.
The incident took place in the Deccan Gymkhana area, they said.
The three deceased, sold egg dishes at their roadside handcart near the Baba Bhide bridge, a causeway.
But after their cart went underwater as a result of heavy rains, they visited the spot and tried to shift it to a safer place However, the trio got electrocuted in the process, an official of Deccan Gymkhana police station said.
Following the incident, the three men - Abhishek Ghanekar, Akash Mane and Shiva Parihar - were rushed to a hospital, where they died during treatment, he said.
Police confirmed that another person died following a landslide on a small eatery.
"One person died while another sustained injuries after a landslide on a small eatery in Tahmini ghat in Mulshi tehsil," inspector Manoj Yadav of Paud police station said.
The district administration and local police are engaged in the task removing the debris from the road, he said adding that after removing it the road will be open for the vehicular movement.
In another incident, three people are feared trapped in a bungalow in Lavasa area after mudslide, police said.
Meanwhile, 29 tourists who were stranded due to flooding at resorts and bungalows in Malavli area near Lonavala hill station in the district were evacuated on Wednesday evening, a police official said.
Air India posted on microblogging website X that the flights to and from Mumbai may get affected due to the heavy rain.
(With inputs from agencies)
