At least 1,583 citizens shifted to safe locations in Raigad district
In Raigad district, the Savitri River in Mahad has crossed the danger mark and floodwater has entered residential areas in the city
With Raigad and Ratnagiri experiencing very heavy rainfall for the past two days, major rivers in these districts have reached or breached the danger mark, prompting the administration to issue flood alerts. In Raigad, the administration has shifted at least 1,583 citizens to safe locations apart from deploying rescue teams in case of emergencies.
In Raigad district, the Savitri River in Mahad has crossed the danger mark and floodwater has entered residential areas in the city. The Patalganga, Amba and Kundalika rivers, too, have reached the danger mark, posing risk of flooding in the Mahad, Roha and Khalapur areas. The Raigad district administration has alerted citizens of possible contingencies.
Whereas in Ratnagiri district, the Khed and Chiplun areas may experience flooding as the rivers swell and breach their danger mark. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed teams at four locations including Mahad, Poladpur, Chiplun and Khed. Considering the rain and flood, Yogesh Mhase, Raigad collector, has declared a holiday for all schools and colleges in the Raigad district.
Sagar Pathak, disaster management officer, Raigad district, said, “The district has been experiencing extreme rainfall for the past 24 hours. Major rivers have crossed the danger level. We have shifted at least 1,583 people living in flood- or landslide-prone areas with the help of local disaster teams as well as the NDRF teams. As of now, the flood situation is under control and there is no threat to life so far. However, the administration is keeping a close watch on the situation as rainfall activity is continuing in the district.”
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a red alert for Raigad district on July 18 and 19. As per the data shared by the IMD, both Raigad and Ratnagiri districts are experiencing excess rainfall in July. Raigad has received 966.4 mm rainfall between July 1 and 19, which is 33% higher than normal rainfall. Ratnagiri has received 862.1 mm of rainfall which is 23% higher than normal rainfall. The orange alert for heavy rainfall will continue for the next 24 hours after which there is a possibility of gradual decrease in rainfall activity, an IMD official said.
Landslide near Mahabaleshwar
Due to extremely heavy rainfall, two incidents of landslides have been reported in the Ambenali hill area near Mahabaleshwar. The first incident occurred late night Tuesday while the second incident took place early morning Wednesday. As per the IMD data, Mahabaleshwar received 276 mm of rain in the last 24 hours which is the highest rain in 24 hours this rainy season.
No loss of life has been reported in the incidents. However, due to the landslides, traffic was heavily affected between Mahabaleshwar and Raigad as the Mahabaleshwar-Poladpur Road was blocked. The administrative team reached the top spot late in the afternoon to remove debris and clear the road.
