Heavy rainfall leaves rivers in spate, inundates parts of Maharashtra, Telangana; rescue ops on

Chiplun, Khed, and some other towns in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri were inundated after heavy rains made the major rivers in Ratnagiri district, including Jagbudi, Vashishti, Kodavali, Shastri, Bav flow above the danger level. The government agencies were deployed to shift local residents to safer place. However, inclement weather and continuous falls added to their difficulties in carrying out rescue operations in this district located in the Konkan region.

**EDS: BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE** Ratnagiri: Buses submerged in a flood affected area following heavy rains, at Chiplun in Ratnagiri district, Thursday, July 22, 2021. (PTI Photo)

An official said that two persons died due to a landslide near Parshuram ghat in the district during the day.

Nearly 6,000 passengers were stranded as train services on the Konkan Railway route in the district were suspended. At least nine trains were either rerouted, short-terminated or cancelled due to disruption of services on the route, officials said.

Incessant rains also hit road and rail traffic badly in several parts of Maharashtra, including around Mumbai.

Heavy rains also caused landslides at multiple spots and damaged over bridges and roads in Pune district. However, no casualties were reported. Water had to be released from a key dam on outskirts of the city with continuous rainfall in its catchment area for the last few days filling it up to around 85 per cent of its storage capacity.

Mumbai: Flooded locality at Badlapur after heavy rains, Mumbai, Thursday, July 22, 2021. (PTI Photo)

The landslides and water-logging on bridges led to the disruption in traffic as vehicular movement was suspended at several places in the western Maharashtra district, the officials said. The IMD issued a ‘red alert’ for the district forecasting extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places on Thursday.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray took a stock of the situation Ratnagiri and Raigad districts. During the meeting, Thackeray said the IMD has issued an alert of heavy rainfall in the coastal region for the next three days.

Spoke to Maharashtra CM Shri Uddhav Thackeray and discussed the situation in parts of Maharashtra in the wake of heavy rainfall and flooding. Assured all possible support from the Centre to mitigate the situation. Praying for everyone’s safety and well-being. @OfficeofUT

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 22, 2021

Prime Minister Narendra Modi too spoke with the CM and assured all possible help to mitigate the situation. “Spoke to Maharashtra CM Shri Uddhav Thackeray and discussed the situation in parts of Maharashtra in the wake of heavy rainfall and flooding. Assured all possible support from the Centre to mitigate the situation. Praying for everyone’s safety and well-being,” he tweeted.

Telangana

Over a thousand people were evacuated from their homes and moved to safer locations in Telangana’s Nirmal district following incessant rains that persisted for over 24 hours.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao instructed Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to depute NDRF teams in the town areas, parts of which are submerged in water due to overflowing backwaters of the Swarna river project. He also instructed the officials and public representatives to take precautionary measures on a war-footing as water level started rising in Godavari river catchment areas due to heavy showers in the upper reaches of Sri Ram Sagar Project (SRSP), an official release said.

Vehicles move through a flooded street following heavy rain at Malakpet in Hyderabad. (PTI Photo)

Meanwhile, the Hyderabad centre of India Meteorological Department, which had earlier predicted heavy to extremely heavy rains for eastern and north-eastern districts till July 24, issued a red alert for Adilabad, Kumurambheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Jagtial, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Rajanna Sircilla, Kamareddy districts. It also issued orange and yellow alerts for most other districts till Saturday.

While heavy rains lashed most parts of the northern and eastern Telangana, the highest downpour of 20 cm to 25 cm rainfall was reported till 8.30am Thursday from Dilawarpur, Narsapur, Bhainsa, Mamda, Sarangapur, Kuntala, etc in the Nirmal district. Sarangapur received another 15 cm rainfall till Thursday afternoon, as per the rainfall data available with Telangana State Development Planning Society.

Kerala

The weather department issued an orange alert for Kerala’s Ernakulam, Idukki, Kozhikode and Wayanad districts for Thursday and Friday, predicting very heavy rains. The IMD also warned the fishermen of the state against venturing out into the sea till July 26.

Vehicles wade through a flooded road after heavy rains at Kadutthuritthi in Kottayam district, Friday, July 16, 2021. (PTI Photo)

“Strong winds with speeds reaching 40-50 Kmph gusting to 60 kmph are very likely along and off Kerala coast. Fishermen are advised not to venture into these sea areas during the period mentioned,” the IMD said in a warning for July 22 to 26.

An Orange alert was issued for Kannur district and a Yellow alert for all other districts on Friday.

People use a boat to carry fodder for their livestocks after rise in the water level of Ram Ganga River, in Moradabad district, Uttar Pradesh, Thursaday, July 22, 2021. (PTI Photo)

Uttar Pradesh

Many parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh and a few in western part of the state got light to moderate rainfall as monsoon continued to be active over the state. Extremely heavy rainfall took place at isolated places over eastern Uttar Pradesh, the Met department said in a statement.

Precipitation was reported from Kheri, Ambedkar Nagar, Bareilly, Saharanpur, Gonda, Bahraich, Shrawasti, Prartapgarh, Sitapur, Jhansi, Ballia, Mahoba, Varanasi, Banda, Agra, Aligarh and Rae Bareli, it said.

The Met office warned that thunderstorm accompanied by lighting is expected at isolated places on Friday while heavy rain is very likely at isolated places over western part of the state. It said thundershowers are very likely at a few places over western Uttar Pradesh and at isolated places over eastern Uttar Pradesh on July 24 and very likely at many places over the state on July 25.