Heavy rains create flood-like situation in Raigad; over 2,200 shifted

Alibag: More than 2,200 people have been evacuated as heavy rains created a flood-like situation in parts of Maharashtra's Raigad with the downpour damaging at least 125 houses in the district, where a massive landslide claimed several lives at a village, officials said on Thursday.

As a result of incessant rainfall, 17 out of 28 dams in Raigad are overflowing, the district administration said in a statement.

Several places in the district recorded more than 200 mm rainfall in 24 hours, it said.

In the 24-hour period ending 10 am on Thursday, Panvel taluka received 267.7 mm rainfall, followed by Poladpur at 266 mm, Mahad 230.9 mm, Karjat 226.6 mm, Pen 212.7 mm, Uran 207.5 mm, Sudhagad 196.4 mm, Khalapur 182.5 mm, Tala 186 mm and Aliabg 180.4 mm.

Mhasala taluka recorded 169.5 mm rainfall during this period, followed by Roha 156.9 mm, Mangaon 148.1 mm, Shrivardhan 145.4 mm and Murud 134.8 mm, it said, adding that the district's average rainfall recorded during this period was 198 mm.

The weather department had issued a red alert for July 18 and 19, it said.

Due to heavy rainfall and flood-like situation at some places in the district, a total of 2,227 people from 746 families were moved to safety. Of them, 704 people are from Poladpur taluka, 450 people from Chirner village in Uran taluka and 430 people from Mahad taluka, the district administration said.

People from Pen, Mangaon, Panvel, Karjat, and Khalapur talukas are also among the evacuees, it added.

A landslide occurred in Ambenali ghat that connects Poladpur in Raigad district to Mahabaleshwar in Satara district on late Tuesday night. Following that, traffic on both sides of the route has been shut and restoration efforts are still on, officials said.

Due to heavy rain at Mahabaleshwar and Poladpur, the Savitri river is in spate and the flood water has entered the low-lying areas of Mahad town, they said.

The level of the Patalganaga river is also flowing above the danger mark, which led to flooding in Aapta town. There is flood-like situation in Chirner village of Uran taluka.

Seventy-five 'pucca' houses and 51 'kutcha' houses suffered partial damages in parts of the district in rain-related incidents that also left six cattle sheds and three public properties damaged, they said.

The average rainfall of the district in four months - from June to September - is 3,148 mm. This year, its average rainfall recorded so far is 1,524.5 mm, the district administration said.

A massive landslide occurred in Irshalwadi village late Wednesday night has claimed the lives of at least 12 people so far, while many others are still feared trapped. The village has around 50 houses, of which 17 were buried under the landslide, officials said.

Rescue and restoration work in at Irshalwadi, a tribal village inaccessible by pucca road, they said.