Heavy rains lash Thane, Palghar; bridge in Kalyan closed as Ulhas river levels rise

Thane: Thane and Palghar districts received heavy rainfall on Monday, prompting authorities to close some key roads and relocate residents from vulnerable areas, officials said.

Kalyan Tehsildar Sachin Shejal said traffic on Raite bridge along Kalyan-Murbad road has been halted due to rising water levels of Ulhas river.

"Although the water has not gone over the bridge level, we have decided to close it as a precautionary measure. Traffic has been diverted via Titwala. In Ambernath, 50 residents of Swabhiman Chali, located near the banks of the Ulhas river in Sonivali, were relocated to BSUP Buildings 26, 27 and 28. No such evacuation was required elsewhere in the district," Shejal said.

In Kulgaon-Badlapur, continuous rainfall has led to waterlogging in several low-lying areas, though no untoward incident has been reported so far, former municipal council president Ram Patkar said.

Thane District Information Officer (DIO) Manoj Shivaji Sanap on Monday urged all stakeholders and field-level officials to promptly report incidents to the headquarters to enable timely and accurate dissemination of official information to the media.

"We are taking proactive steps to ensure timely communication during this monsoon. It is essential all updates are shared without delay," Sanap said.

Palghar district is also witnessing intense rainfall and the situation is being monitored closely, said Vivekanand Kadam, Chief of the District Disaster Management Cell.