Mumbai: Heavy rainfall lashed Thane and Palghar districts on Saturday following the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) red alert, leading to waterlogging in several low-lying areas, incidents of fallen trees and collapsed walls, and widespread disruption to normal life and traffic.
Heavy showers continued across Thane city from Saturday morning. As the intensity of the rain increased, several low-lying areas in Thane, Diva, Mumbra and along Ghodbunder Road were inundated. Waterlogging was reported in areas including Vandana Theatre, Gokhale Road, Ram Maruti Road and Kalwa, causing inconvenience to residents.
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At the Vandana Theatre area, workers of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) staged a protest, questioning the effectiveness of drain-cleaning work after the area was flooded.
The IMD has issued a red alert for Thane district for July 4 and 5. In view of the weather warning, authorities declared a holiday for primary, secondary and higher secondary schools to ensure students’ safety. The district administration also appealed to residents to avoid stepping outdoors unless absolutely necessary.
Between 8:30 am and 2:30 pm on Saturday, Thane city recorded 88.41 mm of rainfall, taking the season’s cumulative rainfall to 852.46 mm.
During the same period, Palghar district received 97.70 mm of rainfall, with the season’s total reaching 643.10 mm.
Several low-lying areas in Kalyan, Dombivli, Bhiwandi, Badlapur and Navi Mumbai were submerged due to heavy rain. Navi Mumbai recorded an average rainfall of 113.20 mm between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm.
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In Kalwa, two motorists were injured after a tree fell on them, while in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, a parked car was damaged after another tree collapsed. No fatalities were reported in either incident.
In Vasai of Palghar district, emergency services were deployed to evacuate residents stranded in flood-affected homes. In Mandovi, 19 people trapped by floodwaters were successfully rescued.
Heavy rainfall also caused major traffic disruptions across the region. The Palghar-Boisar Road was closed after floodwaters submerged the Kolgaon Bridge, while a fallen tree near Manor Waghoba Ghat blocked the highway.
Several internal roads, including the Safale-Tandulwadi Road, Govade-Raypada Road, and the bridge connecting Shil and Deharje villages, were also closed due to severe waterlogging and overflowing rivers.
In Sakwar village under the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation, floodwaters in the river stranded 19 people in the Vartha Pada area, including 13 members of two local families and factory workers. All of them were safely rescued by emergency teams.