Six people have died and hundreds displaced in the last couple of days as heavy rains lashed several districts of Maharashtra, causing floods, landslides, and widespread damage to crops, officials said on Tuesday.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, after reviewing the flood situation with the disaster management department, cautioned that the next 48 hours would be critical for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts.
“The administration is closely monitoring the situation, ensuring evacuation of citizens from low-lying areas and coordinating rescue operations,” an official from the disaster management control room said.
Rescue teams of the SDRF, NDRF, and the Army have been deployed in vulnerable areas, and more than 290 people have been rescued from flood-hit villages in Nanded district.
IMD forecast: Intense rains ahead
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), torrential rains were triggered by a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal and the strengthening of monsoon winds.
“The system has activated a trough extending from north Konkan to Kerala. This has triggered very heavy to extremely heavy rains over Konkan, central Maharashtra and the ghats, while the rest of the state is witnessing moderate showers,” said S D Sanap, senior scientist at IMD Pune.
The IMD has forecast intense rainfall over Konkan, including Mumbai, and parts of central Maharashtra for the next two days. An orange alert has been sounded in Marathwada and Vidarbha, which is expected to ease to yellow later this week.
Agriculture hit, villages cut off
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said nearly 10 lakh hectares of farmland have been submerged. “The damage assessment will commence once the rains subside,” he told reporters.
In Gadchiroli, over 50 villages in Bhamragad taluka were cut off after the Perlkota River overflowed, while a 19-year-old youth from Kodpe village was swept away in a swollen stream.
In Washim district, major rivers have been in spate for four consecutive days, damaging thousands of hectares of kharif crops.
Dams release water, rivers rising
In western Maharashtra, the Radhanagari dam in Kolhapur released 11,500 cusecs into the Bhogavati River, causing the Panchganga to flow above danger levels for the fifth time this season.
Landslides disrupted traffic on the Kolhapur-Ratnagiri highway, while heavy discharge from the Chandoli dam raised water levels in the Warna River, prompting alerts downstream.
The Koyna dam also began a controlled release of water, with towns like Karad in Satara district warned of possible flooding.
In Konkan, Raigad district recorded over 160 mm rainfall in Roha taluka on Monday, with the Kundalika and Savitri Rivers flowing above danger marks.
Local officials declared a holiday for schools and colleges, while connectivity was disrupted in Mahad and Nagothane due to landslides and road flooding.
Thane records 20 deaths this season
Meanwhile, in Thane district alone, at least 20 people have died in rain-related incidents since May, according to Sandeep Mane, Resident Deputy Collector and CEO of the District Disaster Management Authority.
“These fatalities were due to tree falls, drowning, lightning strikes, and electrocution, among other causes,” Mane said. He added that 11 people had sustained injuries during the same period.
Thane has so far recorded 1,842.9 mm of rainfall this monsoon, with 119.7 mm on Monday alone. “A total of 20 deaths have been recorded across the district in the past four months,” he said, noting that Kalyan taluka reported the highest toll at 11, followed by Shahapur (5), Murbad (3), and Thane taluka (1).
As many as 337 houses were partially damaged, 13 cattle perished, and 20 families had to be shifted to safer shelters in Ambernath.
Administration appeals for caution
With rains showing no immediate signs of respite, authorities have appealed to citizens to stay indoors unless necessary. Officials have warned that water levels in rivers across Konkan and Vidarbha could rise further amid incessant showers.
