Around 40,000 hit by downpour in Badlapur, Mumbai

As heavy rains lashed Badlapur, most areas in the city’s western part, including the railway station, saw major flooding on Saturday. According to the Kulgaon Badlapur Municipal Council (KBMC), around 40,000 residents were affected, with water entering the ground floor of homes in Rameshwadi, Barage Road and Hendra Pada.

The city saw the highest rainfall in the Konkan region, at 447mm, between 8.30am on Friday and 8.30am on Saturday. “The water level of Ulhas River rose, causing it to overflow and leading to heavy flooding across the city. Our teams have been constantly rescuing people and no injuries or casualties have been reported yet,” said Prakash Borse, chief officer of KBMC.

According to the civic body’s disaster management team, around 300 people were rescued from slum areas and 40 senior citizens were moved from Sahwaas old age home in Rameshwadi to a safe house. Around 2,500 food packages were arranged for those stranded across the city.

Some residents also complained of water and power cut since Friday evening. “Our parking lot flooded on Saturday morning, with water accumulating till a height of 2 feet. It is impossible to move out of the house. There is also no power and water supply since Friday evening,” said Mohanan Nair, 56, a resident of Mohan Valley in Hendre Pada.

Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have also been deployed in the area. “Considering the severity of the flooding, I have called a team of 15-20 NDRF personnel to stay within the city and help us with the operations. We will need the extra hands to deliver the food packers if the situation continues till Sunday,” said Borse.