Heavy rains lash Thane, Palghar; schools and colleges to remain shut on Aug 19

Thane/Palghar, Aug 18 (PTI) Incessant heavy rains on Monday triggered a landslide in a hilly area in Kalyan in Thane district, damaging four houses, officials said. Nobody was injured.

Roads in several areas across Thane, Palghar, and Navi Mumbai regions were waterlogged, and traffic crawled as copious downpours lashed the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Authorities have declared holidays for schools and colleges on Tuesday as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for August 18-19 in Thane and Palghar districts.

The landslide occurred on Monday afternoon at Netivali Hill in the Jai Bhavani Nagar area of Kalyan.

"Some residents have been shifted to a municipal school in Netivali for safety, and arrangements for food and accommodation have been made," said Deputy Commissioner Sanjay Jadhav of the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC).

Thane city recorded more than 100 mm of rainfall at 4.30 pm, said Yasin Tadvi, chief of the disaster management cell of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC).

Elsewhere in Thane district, rescue teams used boats to transport schoolchildren in Kalwa, where heavy flooding disrupted movement. At Ghodbunder, a boulder crash temporarily blocked traffic, but debris was swiftly cleared by disaster management teams.

The rise in water levels affected traffic on Chena Bridge in Bhayander, while a man was swept away in a 'nullah' at Blue Diamond Square in Navi Mumbai's Sector 28 around noon, officials said.

"Reports received from local police and fire brigade indicate that the man had jumped into the nullah. Due to the swelling waters and heavy downpour, the rescue teams have been unable to trace him. Other details are awaited," said Sachin Kadam, chief of the NMMC's disaster management cell.

Tadvi said several areas were inundated, but no untoward incident has been reported so far in Thane.

DCP (Traffic) Pankaj Shirsat said several stretches within the Thane police commissionerate limits saw severe waterlogging due to potholes.

"Traffic was adversely affected in many places, with serpentine queues of vehicles. Police are monitoring and clearing congestion," he said.

Navi Mumbai recorded 115.17 mm of rainfall from 8.30 am on August 17 to 8.30 am on August 18, with another 83.68 mm between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm.

The city had earlier logged 134.68 mm and 105.70 mm of rainfall over the preceding two days. Despite the heavy downpour, officials said proactive measures kept the situation under control.

"Our teams are removing blockages in drains, deploying additional pumps, and monitoring tide levels. Citizens should remain indoors except for essential work and contact the civic helpline for emergencies," said Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Kailash Shinde.

He said some areas, like Sector 21, APMC Market Road, Sanpada-Juinagar underpass, and Airoli, faced temporary waterlogging. In Rabale MIDC, pumps were deployed to clear accumulated water.

Palghar also witnessed heavy rain since the early hours of the day, but no untoward incident has been reported, said disaster management official Vivekanand Kadam.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Pankaj Shirsat said that stretches at Karpe Compound in Versova and some other places developed potholes due to heavy rains over the past few days, leading to traffic disruptions.

Single-line traffic is being monitored to bring relief to motorists, the DCP added. PTI COR BNM ARU NSK