The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a warning of very heavy rainfall in isolated areas on Thursday. Regions including Palghar, Thane, Mumbai, and Sindhudurg are expected to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall until Friday morning. In response to this forecast, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has declared a holiday for all schools and colleges in its jurisdiction for Friday. The BMC has urged teachers to notify parents and ensure proper coordination while dismissing students.
Additionally, the BMC has advised citizens to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary and requested their cooperation. Earlier today, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reviewed the ongoing rainfall situation in the state. He contacted the Raigad collector to provide assistance to flood-affected individuals, assuring comprehensive support.
In a related incident, a low-level bridge connecting Kasbe Shivthar and Samarth Shivthar villages in the Mahad MIDC area of Raigad district was washed away by heavy rains. Although the bridge was not used for vehicular traffic, locals relied on it to access their fields. The IMD has issued a red alert for heavy to very heavy rains in the coastal Raigad district.
The BMC has also announced a water cut starting from July 29, as the lakes supplying water to Mumbai are filling up rapidly due to satisfactory rainfall in the catchment areas. However, the BMC has appealed to residents to use water judiciously. The water cut will also be lifted in Thane, Bhiwandi, and surrounding rural areas. Currently, the water stock has reached 66.77%, with four out of the seven lakes—Tulsi, Tansa, Vihar, and Modaksagar—already overflowing.
The heavy rains have caused significant traffic disruptions, including a halt at Tamhini Ghat on the Raigad-Pune route due to debris from a landslide. According to Raigad Police, traffic will be stopped for the next few hours until the debris is cleared.
Chief Minister Shinde noted that water remains on the roads and in homes in Pune. The District Collector, Municipal Commissioner, and Police Commissioner have been alerted. Teams from the NDRF and SDRF are deployed, and the army and airlifting teams are on standby for potential operations.
