Pune rains: Civic body urges residents to stay safe amid high water levels

People move their belongings in the aftermath of heavy rainfall at Ekta Nagar area in Pune on Friday. Pic/PTI

After recent flooding due to heavy rains, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has issued an alert and advised the residents of the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad to remain vigilant as local reservoirs are currently filled to high levels.

According to the civic body, Khadakwasla Dam is at its 80 per cent capacity, Panshet Dam is at 94 per cent, and Temghar Dam is at 78 per cent.

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It said that the Pavana Dam, which serves the Pimpri-Chinchwad area, is at 84 per cent capacity.

It said that the Pune rains forecast for the night of July 28 and the early morning of July 29 has predicted heavy rainfall, which could lead to significant discharge from the Mutha and Pavana river basins. The Khadakwasla and Pavana Dams are already releasing water into the rivers, and the amount of discharge will be adjusted based on rainfall and inflow conditions.

The Pune civic body has advised the residents living near the Mutha River in Pune and the Pavana River in Pimpri-Chinchwad to avoid the prohibited areas marked as "Blue Line Area" along the riverbanks.

"It is important to move any belongings or animals from these riverbank areas to safer locations immediately," the official statement said on Sunday evening.

Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued an orange alert for Pune and a yellow alert was issued for Monday, July 29.

The weather department, while issuing an orange alert for Pune, said, "Heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in ghat areas were very likely and light to moderate rain in plains were very likely."

Earlier, heavy rainfall in Pune on Wednesday and Thursday had resulted in four deaths. The IMD had reported 114.1 mm of rain in the 24 hours causing rivers and canals to overflow.

Flooding had affected areas including Pimpri-Chinchwad, Chowk on the Mumbai-Bangalore highway, Narayan Peth and Akurdi. The Khadakwasla dam released a large volume of water into the Mutha river due to heavy rain.

The teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had launched a rescue operation and shifted stranded people for safer places following heavy rains in Pune.