NEW DELHI: Mumbai reeled under heavy rains and flooding for past few days, with visuals of submerged streets and stranded citizens showing the scale of disruption. At least six people have died and hundreds have been displaced across Maharashtra, while authorities warn that the next two days will be critical for several districts.The rain and waterlogging did not spare the Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Palace hotel. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, after reviewing the situation with the disaster management department, said, “The next 48 hours would be crucial for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, which remain on high alert.”Due to heavy rains, Upvan Lake has started overflowing. The meteorological department (IMD) has forecast intense rainfall for Konkan, including Mumbai, and parts of central Maharashtra in the coming two days. An orange alert has been sounded in Marathwada and Vidarbha, though the intensity there is expected to ease later this week. In front of Goregaon Oberoi Mall, a video showed a person swimming in the high waters. In Nanded district, more than 290 people were rescued from flood-hit villages as the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Army carried out operations. In the Lodha Complex, Majiwada, a snake was spotted crawling and swimming in the floodwaters, sparking fear among locals. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said that the incessant showers have submerged nearly 10 lakh hectares of farmland. “The damage assessment will commence once the rains subside,” he told reporters.An uprooted tree fell on a car following the onslaught of the natural disaster. The scale of disruption has been widespread. In Gadchiroli, over 50 villages in Bhamragad taluka remain cut off after the Perlkota River overflowed, forcing the closure of the Bhamraga-Allapalli Highway. In Washim district, major rivers have been in spate for the fourth consecutive day, damaging thousands of hectares of kharif crops. Western Maharashtra too has been hit. The Radhanagari dam in Kolhapur released 11,500 cusecs of water into the Bhogavati River, causing the Panchganga to rise above danger levels for the fifth time this season. The Kolhapur-Ratnagiri Highway was blocked by landslides, halting traffic. Heavy discharge from Chandoli Dam swelled the Warna River, prompting alerts in downstream villages. The Koyna Dam in Satara district also began controlled release of water, and towns like Karad were put on alert. In Konkan, Raigad district recorded more than 160 mm of rain in Roha taluka on Monday. The Kundalika and Savitri Rivers crossed danger marks, while schools and colleges were ordered shut for the day. Landslides and flooded roads disrupted connectivity in Mahad and Nagothane.Cattle were not spared, as hundreds of chickens were killed in a poultry farm in Ambhede village. In Bhandup, Shriram College was submerged due to waterlogging. The administration has urged residents to remain indoors unless absolutely necessary. Teams of the SDRF, NDRF and the Army have been stationed in sensitive areas as rivers in Konkan and Vidarbha continue to swell under relentless showers. Go to Source
