Maharashtra weather: Heavy rains in Thane and Palghar; several people from low-lying areas evacuated

Maharashtra weather: Schools and colleges were closed in many parts of Palghar district in view of the heavy downpour

Heavy rains pounded Thane and Palghar districts in Maharashtra on Wednesday, causing water-logging in many localities following which more than 250 families from low-lying areas in Thane were shifted to safer places, officials said, reported the PTI on Wednesday.

Schools and colleges were closed in many parts of Palghar district in view of the heavy downpour.

A number of rivers including the Ulhas (Thane), Amba, Savitri and Patalganga (in neighbouring Raigad) were in spate, they said, according to the PTI.

Some bridges on the Ulhas, Kalu and Murbadi rivers in Thane were inundated, the officials said, the news agency reported.

As many as 200 families from Sonivali and Hendrepada in Badlapur town of Thane have been shifted to safer places following heavy downpour and flooding in those areas, District Information Officer Nandkumar Waghmare said, according to the PTI.

Around 60 families from Morya Nagar in Kalyan taluka and inmates of a senior citizens' home in Ambarnath area of Thane were also shifted to safer places, he said.

A report from the Thane district headquarters said the Amba river in Nagotane, Savitri in Mahad, Patalganga in Lohap, and Ulhas river in Jambulpada have crossed the danger mark.

The Kundalika river in Dolvahal, Ulhas in Badlapur, and Kalu in Titwala have crossed the warning level, it said.

Also, some bridges were inundated between Rayte and Dahagaon (over Ulhas river), on road leading to Chikle village (over Kalu river), and over the Murbadi river in Murbad, a district administration official said.

In Palghar, Collector Govind Bodke declared a holiday on Wednesday for all educational institutions in Vasai, Palghar, Dahanu and Talasari talukas due to the heavy rains and forecast of more heavy showers, the district administration said in a release.

The order will be applicable to government as well as private educational institutions, Palghar disaster management cell chief Vivekanand Kadam told PTI.

Some areas in Vasai were water-logged and teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police and revenue department were carrying out rescue and relief operations, he said.

Meanwhile, in view of heavy rains in Maharashtra, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed a total of 12 teams across the state, the NDRF said on Wednesday. 

The NDRF said, five teams have been deployed in Mumbai, one team each in Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Kolhapur, Sangli, Nagpur, and Thane districts of the state."

(with PTI inputs)

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