8 die as rain batters Maharashtra; heavy forecast in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar

Mumbai, Aug 19 (IANS) At least eight people have died so far amid heavy rain and floods in various parts of Maharashtra, even as the Weather Department has forecast heavy downpours on Tuesday and until August 21.

Rain lashed all parts of the state on Sunday and Monday, and the rain will continue with the same intensity in Mumbai for the next two days. After that, it will decrease on Friday. The weather bureau has issued a warning of extremely heavy rain for Mumbai, Thane and Palghar districts on Tuesday and has appealed to people to venture out of their homes only if necessary.

In the Nanded district, at least five people have died and six are missing in the floods. There is preliminary information that about 150 animals have been killed in the district. Rescue teams have succeeded in saving 293 people trapped in the floods. Midnight on Sunday, a team of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) was deployed in the Mukhed area for rescue operations, and the Army has also been called from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. One person died in Beed, and three people trapped in the flood were rescued. One person died after a wall collapsed in Akola.

In South Mumbai, one person died after a retaining wall collapsed on him at Shimla House in the Nepean Sea Road area of Malabar Hill. The accident occurred around 11.30 a.m. on Monday. The deceased was identified as Satish Tirke.

A youth, who fell into the Mithi River from the BKC bridge near the Kanakia Palace building in Bandra, continues to be missing. His name is Vardan Janjotar (24). The fire brigade was searching for him till late Monday night.

According to the state government’s disaster management control room and emergency operation centre, rescue teams have evacuated more than 300 people to safer places.

According to preliminary estimates, 4.5 lakh hectares of farmland have been damaged across the state. Six to seven villages in Mukhed taluka of Nanded district are reeling under flood-like conditions due to a cloudburst. A team of the Central Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was dispatched to Kaudgaon in Parli taluka of Beed district on Monday.

In Konkan, the Jagbudi, Shastri, and Kodavali Rivers in Ratnagiri district and the Kundalika River in Raigad district have crossed the danger levels. It is estimated that two lakh hectares of crops have been damaged due to rain in Vidarbha and about 2.59 lakh hectares in Nanded and Beed districts of Marathwada. Turmeric, cotton and soybean crops have been the most affected.

As the heavy rain lashed Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Konkan, Western Maharashtra, Vidarbha and Marathwada since Sunday night, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday took stock of the situation and ordered the revenue, emergency and police agencies to be on alert mode and participate in relief work.

Traffic jams in various parts of Mumbai were witnessed throughout Monday due to waterlogging on roads in many low-lying areas. The speed of suburban trains also slowed down due to waterlogging on the tracks. Students suffered a lot as school buses got stuck in the flooded streets.

According to the state emergency operation centre, Mumbai city, suburbs, and Thane district have been receiving heavy rainfall for the last three days. The rain intensified on Monday with heavy rain starting in Mulund, Bhandup, Ghatkopar, Kurla, Sion, Jogeshwari, Borivali, Malad, Andheri, Santa Cruz, and Colaba areas. The Colaba centre of the Meteorological Department recorded 45.2 mm of rainfall from 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. on Monday, while the Santa Cruz centre recorded 123.9 mm. 101.4 mm of rainfall was also recorded in Thane.

The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation declared a holiday for schools for their second session beginning after noon on Monday. In the wake of the weather bureau's prediction for heavy rain, the schools and colleges in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai remained closed on Tuesday. The government has delegated the necessary orders to the District Collectors to take a call on declaring a holiday for schools and colleges in such a situation.

--IANS

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