Maha: Heavy Rains In Thane And Palghar; Several People From Low-Lying Areas Evacuated

Schools and colleges were closed in many parts of Palghar district in view of the heavy downpour. A number of rivers including the Ulhas (Thane), Amba, Savitri and Patalganga (in neighbouring Raigad) were in spate, they said. Some bridges on the Ulhas, Kalu and Murbadi rivers in Thane were inundated, the officials said.

As many as 200 families from Sonivali and Hendrepada in Badlapur town of Thane have been shifted to safer places following heavy downpour and flooding in those areas, District Information Officer Nandkumar Waghmare said.? Around 60 families from Morya Nagar in Kalyan taluka and inmates of a senior citizens' home in Ambarnath area of Thane were also shifted to safer places, he said.

A report from the Thane district headquarters said the Amba river in Nagotane, Savitri in Mahad, Patalganga in Lohap, and Ulhas river in Jambulpada have crossed the danger mark.?The Kundalika river in Dolvahal, Ulhas in Badlapur, and Kalu in Titwala have crossed the warning level, it said.

Also, some bridges were inundated between Rayte and Dahagaon (over Ulhas river), on road leading to Chikle village (over Kalu river), and over the Murbadi river in Murbad, a district administration official said.?In Palghar, Collector Govind Bodke declared a holiday on Wednesday for all educational institutions in Vasai, Palghar, Dahanu and Talasari talukas due to the heavy rains and forecast of more heavy showers, the district administration said in a release.?

The order will be applicable to government as well as private educational institutions, Palghar disaster management cell chief Vivekanand Kadam told PTI.?Some areas in Vasai were water-logged and teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police and revenue department were carrying out rescue and relief operations, he said.