Over 700 Kolhapur Residents Shifted as Incessant Rainfall Triggers Flood Threat Again

Mumbai: Around 765 people from 347 families in Kolhapur villages and towns were shifted on Sunday to safer places as a precautionary measure after increased rainfall in the area.

According to news agency ANI, Kolhapur District Information Office said that families from villages of Shirol and Karvir towns of Kolhapur were moved to safer places. In August, the death toll due to flood and rain-related incidents in Sangli, Kolhapur, Satara, Pune and Solapur districts in eight days had risen to 43.

There seems to be no respite in site for residents of Mumbai and neighbouring areas as the Met department has predicted heavy to heavy rainfall at a few places in Raigad and Thane, and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in districts of Palghar. The financial capital is also likely to receive heavy downpour.

Heavy rains made a reappearance in the region on Wednesday causing waterlogging and floods in different parts of the city, even as Maharashtra was immersed in the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. Places like Thane, Navi Mumbai and Palghar had recorded more than 100mm rainfall in 12 hours until 8.30am on September 3.

The state this year has been reeling under torrential monsoon rain for the last two months, with nearly 24 people losing their lives. The rains have intermittently forced residents to stay indoors and authorities to shut schools and colleges.

On Thursday, heavy downpour brought Vasai-Virar to a standstill after four days of incessant rainfall. Commuters were inconvenienced as unrelenting rain affected the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation's (VVMC) bus service. Autorickshaws also did not ply.

The services of the CR, including the main and Harbour lines, and the Western Line were paralysed on Wednesday due to very heavy rains in a short span of time, causing inundation of tracks and influx of water from the Mithi river. Meanwhile, traffic on western, southern, northern and eastern suburbs of Mumbai remained normal on Saturday with no report of any congestions, according to Mumbai Traffic Police officials.