Severe Flooding in Maharashtra Claims Lives and Causes Destruction
Maharashtra Faces Devastating Floods
A screengrab image of the flood situation, Maharashtra(source: X)
Mumbai, July 7: In the last two days, Maharashtra has been hit hard by relentless rains and strong winds, resulting in the loss of 13 lives and injuries to 10 others. The State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) has reported significant damage, with approximately 100 homes affected, leaving many residents displaced due to severe flooding.
Recent data indicates that the rainfall has been particularly intense in the coastal and western regions. Lonavala recorded an astonishing 625 mm (24.71 inches) of rain over the past 48 hours. Other areas such as Raigad received 236 mm, Thane 161 mm, Ratnagiri 152 mm, Palghar 132 mm, and Mumbai saw rainfall ranging from 100 mm to 161 mm across different sectors.
Many water bodies in the state are overflowing, with the Ulhas, Kalu, and Pinjal rivers surpassing their warning levels. Rivers such as Amba, Savitri, Kundalika, Patalganga, Jagbudi, and Ulhas have breached their danger thresholds, prompting flood alerts for Badlapur, Mohane, and Jambhulpada.
Tragic incidents have been reported across various districts as infrastructure has succumbed to the storm's force.
In Mumbai, a building collapse in the Mankhurd area resulted in six fatalities and one injury among residents of a slum cluster.
Additionally, one person lost their life in the suburbs due to a fallen tree. In Thane, two individuals were injured when part of a building collapsed. Drowning incidents were reported in Palghar and Sindhudurg, with one fatality in each district. High winds also led to the destruction of 30 houses in Sindhudurg. A landslide in Satara caused one death and injured four others.
A 'Red Alert' has been issued for hill stations such as Matheran, Lonavala, Khopoli, and Lohagad due to the risk of landslides from ongoing heavy rainfall.
Two teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been dispatched to the affected areas. In Pune's Mawal taluka, four individuals were trapped when a landslide struck their home in Patan.
In another incident near Talegaon-Dabhade, a bus carrying 25 passengers became stranded in floodwaters, but all were safely rescued by the NDRF.
In Raigad's Sudhagad taluka, a family of six, including a six-month-old baby, was trapped on their roof due to rising floodwaters. Rescuers utilized boats to evacuate them as the roads leading to their village were completely submerged.
Major highways experienced traffic disruptions due to blockages. The Mumbai-Goa Highway saw traffic come to a standstill following a landslide in Kashedi Ghat. Although landslides and heavy waterlogging suspended traffic on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Khopoli Highway, authorities managed to restore movement by the afternoon.
The Mawal and Tamhini Ghat areas were heavily impacted by landslides and flooding, necessitating traffic diversions to alternative routes.
In contrast, the Vidarbha region remains dry, with districts such as Wardha, Akola, Amravati, Yavatmal, and Chandrapur experiencing no rainfall during this period.