MUMBAI: Heavy rain across Maharashtra has left seven people dead, damaged nearly two lakh hectares of standing crops, and caused widespread disruption to property and daily life.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday reviewed the situation with divisional commissioners via video conference. He directed revenue and administrative officers to conduct damage assessments of affected crops and properties and ensure timely compensation.
“So far, seven people have died due to heavy rain, and several rivers have also crossed the danger level. The alert message has been sent to the concerned people,” Fadnavis said
“In Sambhaji Nagar district alone, 800 villages were affected. The two lakh hectares of land with standing crops got damaged. The panchanama will be carried out and compensations will also be given,” he added.
The chief minister also instructed officials to provide shelter, food and other necessities to people stranded by floods and heavy rain.
Authorities have declared holidays for schools and colleges on Tuesday as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for August 18-19 in Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Palghar districts and a yellow and orange alerts for other parts of the state.
The state government has asked local administrations to close schools and colleges in districts under heavy rain warnings.
In Marathwada, five people drowned in flooding, while two others died in house and wall collapse incidents.
In Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) declared a holiday for all schools. Afternoon classes were also cancelled, its PRO said. Waterlogging caused severe traffic congestion across the city.
Airlines issued advisories to passengers after the city remained lashed by heavy showers for a fourth consecutive day.
IndiGo and Akasa Air urged travellers to check flight status and plan their journeys in advance due to flooding and traffic disruptions. Both carriers posted updates on their official X handles.
Thane, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai face the wrath
Incessant heavy rains on Monday triggered a landslide in a hilly area in Kalyan in Thane district, damaging four houses, officials said.
The landslide occurred on Monday afternoon at Netivali Hill in the Jai Bhavani Nagar area of Kalyan. Nobody was injured.
Roads in several areas across Thane, Palghar, and Navi Mumbai regions were waterlogged, and traffic crawled as copious downpours lashed the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
"Some residents have been shifted to a municipal school in Netivali for safety, and arrangements for food and accommodation have been made," said Deputy Commissioner Sanjay Jadhav of the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC).
Thane city recorded more than 100 mm of rainfall at 4.30 pm, said Yasin Tadvi, chief of the disaster management cell of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC).
Elsewhere in Thane district, rescue teams used boats to transport schoolchildren in Kalwa, where heavy flooding disrupted movement.
Meanwhile, Navi Mumbai recorded 115.17 mm of rainfall from 8.30 am on August 17 to 8.30 am on August 18, with another 83.68 mm between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm. The city had earlier logged 134.68 mm and 105.70 mm of rainfall over the preceding two days.
Despite the heavy downpour, officials said proactive measures kept the situation under control.
"Our teams are removing blockages in drains, deploying additional pumps, and monitoring tide levels. Citizens should remain indoors except for essential work and contact the civic helpline for emergencies," said Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Kailash Shinde.
In the wake of heavy rains in Mumbai over the last few days, Vihar lake, one of the key sources of potable water for the metropolis, started overflowing on Monday afternoon, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.
The lake, which has a storage capacity of 2,769.8 crore litres, is the sixth of the seven reservoirs, that supply potable water to Mumbai, to overflow, bringing relief to local residents.
The lake, located in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, overflowed at 2.45 pm , the BMC said. Last year, the lake started overflowing almost a month early, on July 25.
A day before, another lake in Mumbai, Tulsi, overflowed following heavy rains in the city and suburbs.
Mumbai receives 3,800 MLD (millions of litres per day) water from seven reservoirs -- Bhatsa, Upper Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna, Tansa, Modak Sagar, Vihar and Tulsi -- located in Mumbai, Thane and Nashik districts.
The scenic Powai lake in Mumbai also started overflowing earlier this year, but its water is not used for drinking purpose, BMC officials said.
