Maharashtra is reeling under heavy rainfall, so much so that the Army had to be called in to assist in evacuation efforts. From Pune to Mumbai, the state has been witnessing unprecedented rains over the past couple of weeks, wreaking havoc and bringing life to a standstill.
Incessant rainfalls in the state have not only forced closures of schools and universities but also claimed several lives. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Mumbai and Thane and an orange alert for Pune.
Images and videos of people trying to make their way through the inundated streets of Mumbai have taken over the internet. In Pune too, residents are having a hard time navigating through rains. Meanwhile, several roads in the financial capital have been closed due to waterlogging.
Army helps evacuate residents
The intensity of the rainfall was so devastating that the Indian Army was sought for help in Pune.
The Army helped evacuate people to safer locations in the city and so far, 400 people have been moved.
Officials said that two columns of the Army have been deployed in Pune’s Sinhagad Road area, which is one of the most affected areas.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, meanwhile, has said that if the need arises, people will be airlifted from Pune.
Deaths in Mumbai, Pune
Six people have died due to the rains, four in Pune and two in Thane.
While the six individuals in Pune died of electrocution, the two men in Thane died after they drowned after they entered a dam.
Flights affected
As many as 11 flights were cancelled and ten diverted to nearby airports from here on Thursday as heavy rains continued to lash Mumbai.
Runway operations at the Mumbai airport had to be halted twice as the visibility dropped to 300 meters, even as airlines issued advisories to passengers to arrive early at the airport in view of traffic congestion and water-logging in parts of the metropolis.
“Runway operations were first halted for 11 minutes from 8.32 am to 8.43 am, and then again for 19 minutes from 10.36 am to 10.55 am due to adverse weather and low visibility, which dropped to 300 meters and Runway Visual Range (RVR) at 500 meters with heavy rains,” said an airport source.
During the day, a total of 11 arrivals and departures were cancelled with IndiGo cancelling ten services, including five arrivals, and Air India cancelling one departure from Mumbai.
Rivers swell up
Apart from flooding, rivers in Maharashtra have swelled up due to heavy rainfalls.
The Mithi River in Mumbai’s industrial area experienced a rise in water levels to 2.5 meters due to continuous rainfall. Though this is worrisome, it remains below the critical level of 4.2 meters. Authorities are closely observing the situation, compounded by an anticipated high tide of 4.64 meters in the Arabian Sea.
With inputs from agencies
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Roads submerged, rivers swelled up, flights cancelled: Rain in Maharashtra throws life out of gear
