Heavy Rainfall Causes Flooding and Alerts in Pune and Mumbai

Continuous rainfall in the catchment area of Khadakwasla Dam has led to the dam reaching its full capacity as of July 25. This situation prompted the Pune administration to increase the water release into the Mutha River at a rate of 40,000 cusecs on Thursday morning.

Before this increase, water was released at a rate of 27,203 cusecs earlier that same day. Residents living along riverbanks have been issued alerts urging them to exercise caution as the situation develops.

Heavy rains in Pune on the night of July 24 caused water to enter homes and buildings in the Ekta Nagri and Vitthal Nagar areas. The Pune Fire Department has deployed boats to help evacuate residents in those affected areas.

Additionally, the District Information Office has cautioned the public about possible gusty winds of 50 to 60 km per hour, particularly in isolated regions over Palghar, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg, along with moderate rainfall expected in Kolhapur and the hilly areas of Pune over the next few hours.

District Magistrate Suhas Diwas has ordered the closure of schools in Pune as the Indian Meteorological Department issued a red alert for heavy rainfall in the city and surrounding areas, including Pimpri-Chinchwad, Bhor, Velha, Maval, Mulshi, and Haveli.

As of Thursday, the Indian Meteorological Department has also issued a red alert for Maharashtra, forecasting extremely heavy rainfall in the region. The area is expected to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall from July 26 to July 27.

The Brihan Mumbai Metropolitan Council (BMC) has indicated that Mumbai city and its suburbs will experience moderate to heavy rainfall on Thursday and Friday, with isolated locations possibly facing very heavy downpours. Wind gusts reaching 50-60 km/h are also expected.

From 8 a.m. on July 24 to 8 a.m. on July 25, Mumbai recorded 44 mm of rainfall in the city, with 90 mm in eastern suburbs and 88 mm in western suburbs. A high tide of 4.64 meters is anticipated at 2:51 p.m., with a low tide of 1 meter expected at 9 p.m.

Due to persistent rainfall, the Andheri Subway in Mumbai has been closed for vehicular movement because of waterlogging. Many low-lying areas in the city are reporting significant waterlogging issues, causing disruptions in public transport and inconveniencing commuters.

Furthermore, BMC reported that Vihar Lake, one of the seven lakes supplying water to the Mumbai metropolitan area, began overflowing around 3:50 a.m. on Thursday morning.