At least seven people were killed in rain-related incidents in Maharashtra’s Mumbai, Pune and Palghar districts on Sunday as heavy rains forced schools and colleges in Mumbai, its suburbs, Thane, Palghar and Raigad districts to remain closed on Monday, The Indian Express reported. “Some government offices providing emergency and essential services will remain open,” said the civic body. “Private office staff may move out only if essential.”
Among those killed were a 52-year-old woman and her 26-year-old son in Mumbai’s Santacruz area who were electrocuted when they touched the door of their water-logged home. A 10-year-old boy was killed and his younger sister was injured after a wall of their home collapsed in Pune district’s Lonavala area, said the police.
Many passengers were stuck at Mumbai’s Lokmanya Tilak Terminus on Sunday night as 12 trains were cancelled and several others were shortly terminated, diverted or rescheduled due to heavy rains in the city. Around 18 trains had been cancelled on Monday morning.
Mumbai University postponed its examination for open learning students that was scheduled for Monday, NDTV quoted the varsity’s Spokesperson Vinod Malale as saying. All government employees in the city and its satellite towns were allowed to come in to work late amid the state government asked residents to not to go out unless absolutely essential.
The Mumbai civic body’s announcement to close schools and colleges in Mumbai came hours after the Pune District Collector Naval Kishore Ram ordered schools and colleges in the region to remain shut on Monday. Over 1,800 families in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad were moved to safety after incessant rain lashed the two cities.
The India Meteorological Department, meanwhile, said intermittent to heavy rainfall was expected in Mumbai and its suburbs on Tuesday while the rain was expected to continue till the day after. The Met department’s Deputy Director KS Hosalikar had said on Sunday that the city had received 100 mm rain in 24 hours while the suburbs Thane and Navi Mumbai had recorded rainfall of over 250 mm, Hindustan Times reported. According to weather experts, the heavy downpour is the result of an Upper Air Cyclonic Circulation in the Arabian Sea and Bay Low.
A flood-like situation has also developed in Nashik district because of the water released from Gangapur dam into the Godavari river, The Indian Express reported. More than 20,000 cusecs of water was released from the dam on Sunday morning, causing several temples on the bank of the river to submerge.
The state government has sought at least six more teams of National Disaster Response Force for rescue and relief operations in Mumbai, Thane and Palghar, said the chief minister’s office, adding that it was also in touch with the Army, the Navy and other agencies. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was in Gondia on Sunday as part of his ‘Maha Janadesh Yatra’, reportedly spoke to Public Works Department Minister Eknath Shinde and asked Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta to supervise relief operations.
Meanwhile, the weather department has predicted that the state would continue to receive “heavy to extremely heavy” showers till August 8. The areas that will receive heavy downpour are Pune, parts of Konkan and Vidarbha, according to The Indian Express. Districts such as Pune, Satara, Nashik, Kolhapur, Palghar and Thane have also been put on alert.
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