3 electrocuted in Pune amid heavy rain, Mumbai sees second wettest July ever
PUNE,JULY 25 : Incessant rain has led to severe waterlogging in Pune and Kolhapur, crippling normal life and prompting schools to shut. The situation is also grim in Mumbai, which has witnessed its second-wettest July ever with an overall rainfall of over 150 cm. Several residential areas in Pune’s Pimpri-Chinchwad have been flooded while three people were electrocuted while trying to move their handcart along a submerged road.
State Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar took stock of the situation and also spoke to Divisional Commissioners and other officials of Mumbai, Pune and Thane over the phone and gave instructions to maintain alertness and for rescue and relief work.
In addition to Mumbai, several other areas of Maharashtra also witnessed intense rainfall in the last 24 hours, resulting in the death of at least three people.
The heavy rains are likely to continue across the different areas of the state in the coming days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a statement.
In Pune, at least three men died due to electrocution in the early hours of Thursday while trying to move their handcart that got submerged due to heavy rains.
In the state’s Raigad district, the local administration declared a holiday for schools, colleges and other educational institutions on Thursday in the wake of heavy rainfall. A similar order has been issued for Palghar’s Wada and Vikramgad sub-divisions.
The weather department has issued a ‘red alert’ for both the districts, located on the west coast of the districts.
Meanwhile, in the Kolhapur district, an alert was issued as the Panchganga River was flowing just a few inches below the danger mark on Wednesday.
As per the figures, the water level of the Panchganga at Rajaram weir reached 42.2 feet, which is 8 inches below the danger mark of 43 feet, they said.
In the Pune district, water is being released at the rate of 9,400 cusec from the Khadakwasla dam following heavy rainfall in the catchment areas. The district administration has cautioned people living in the low-lying areas to remain alert.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for the ‘ghat’ (mountain pass) sections in Pune district.
An orange alert signifies a preparedness advisory for authorities due to the potential for severe weather conditions.
-The India Today
