Severe flooding in Maharashtra’s Palghar district; 891 rescued
A massive relief and rescue operation was launched in Maharashtra’s coastal Palghar district on Thursday after heavy rains cut off several villages in Dahanu and Talasari talukas, inundating low-lying areas and leading to power outages.
Emergency response teams have so far rescued 891 people or 218 families from flood-affected areas while some two lakh people are living without electricity, officials said. Collector Dr Indu Rani Jakhar said the district has been receiving torrential rainfall since Wednesday night, with Dahanu and Talasari bearing the brunt.
All educational institutions in the district have been ordered to remain closed on Thursday, she said. “National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed in Talasari and Dahanu to carry out rescue operations,” she said, adding that an emergency rescue team from the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) and a local rescue unit at Bharad (Charoti) have also been helping stranded residents. A person was found dead in a nullah in the district, Collector Jakhar said. The identity of the deceased was yet to be established.
Water is being discharged from Kurje and Dhamani dams as they are filled to capacity. “All villages situated along the canal banks have been put on high alert, and the local administration is maintaining continuous vigil,” the Collector stated, urging people to refrain from non-essential travel and stay away from submerged roads, bridges, and overflowing water bodies.
The flooding has also caused severe damage to the power infrastructure, leaving around two lakh people without electricity.
Ajit Igatpurikar, Deputy Chief PRO (Kalyan Region) for Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd, stated in a release that floodwaters inundated 17 electrical substations, forcing authorities to shut down 106 feeders as a safety precaution.
In Dolarpada and Bordi, substations were completely submerged. An operator and a security guard stranded at the Dolarpada substation overnight were rescued by local villagers on Thursday morning.
