Torrential rainfall since Tuesday night lashed Navi Mumbai and adjoining areas. More than 400 residents of Chirner, Kanthavali and Vindhane villages in Uran taluka and over 230 residents in Panvel Taluka were shifted to a safe place after rainwater entered their houses on Wednesday.
Several parts of Panvel, Uran and Kharghar saw water logging and tree-falling incidents. However, there was no loss of human lives reported.
Schools closed in Maharashtra
Amid heavy rainfall, the Raigad district administration announced a holiday for schools and colleges on Wednesday.
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The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) area received 80 mm average rainfall till 5.30 pm on Wednesday. As per the NMMC Disaster Control, there were complaints of trees falling in Sector 11 CBD Belapur and near Ganpati Temple in Airoli on Patni Road. “The fire department promptly removed the tree branches from the road. The low-lying areas like Savita Chemicals on Thane-Belapur Road and Belapur Bus Depot witnessed water logging which was cleared with heavy duty pump,” said a senior civic official.
Similarly, the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) deployed officials at Patel Mohalla, Bharat Nagar slum, and Koliwada bridge along the Gadhi River. Following a rise in the water level of the Gadhi river, water entered Patel Mohalla, Bharat Nagar slum, Marine Academy, and residents were shifted to Koleshwar Vidyamandir and Urdu School in Panvel. The civic chief Mr. Ganesh Deshmukh personally visited and met residents. Mr Deshmukh directed civic officials to arrange proper food and sleeping facilities for them.
Kopra bridge closed due to water logging
Meanwhile, the Kopra Bridge in Kharghar was closed to traffic after rainwater started flowing above the bridge. Similarly, tree-alling incidents were reported from Kalamboli, Kharghar and Khanda Colony.
The Rasayni police station flooded on Wednesday morning after the water level of the Patalganga river breached the danger mark.
Deputy CM talks to Raigad District Collector
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar talked to District Collector Yogesh Mahse over the phone to review the situation in Raigad district due to heavy rains and a warning of heavy rainfall issued by the Meteorological Department. Pawar directed the district administration to speed up the evacuation of the citizens to safe places and complete the day as there would be problems during the night.
Environmentalists concern
Environmentalists alleged that the flooding in several villages in Uran Taluka was due to landfill in mangroves and wetlands. “These are the dividends that we get for so-called unplanned development,” said NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar. “We along with Shri Ekvira Aai Pratishthan (SEAP) have been cautioning against landfill on intertidal wetlands and debris dumping on mangroves all across,” Kumar said. Yet, we have hardly seen any official interference to check the mindless reclamation, he regretted.
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