The IMD has predicted moderate to heavy rainfall in Mumbai and the suburbs and intense showers in some parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region till Friday. A railway spokesperson said local train services resumed around 7.45 am between the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Thane on the main line and between CMST and Vashi on the harbour line. The NDRF and the Railway authorities rescued 290 passengers on Wednesday from two local trains stranded on flooded tracks between the CSMT and the Sandhurst Road stations.

While conducting rescue operations, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are constantly in danger of catching Covid-19 infection or spreading it to those being rescued. In reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic, the NDRF has adopted a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for all types of operations and brought in changes in daily routine, accommodation norms and special protective suits.

Sachchidanand Gawade, Deputy Commandant of the Pune-headquartered 5th Battalion of NDRF, which has deployed teams across the state, said, “While the risks of the Covid-19 pandemic will be there, we will have to conduct all types of operations, mainly floodwater and structure collapse, which unfortunately happen more during the monsoon. While one risk is the rescuer catching Covid-19 infection, the more serious concern is the rescuer causing the spread if infected and asymptomatic.”

He added, “For these challenges, we have devised new SOP since the beginning of the pandemic and have adopted new procedures and acquired special protective suits. When operating in high-risk areas, which is the case most of the time, our teams wear these suits. In low-risk areas, too, our teams wear full protective gear, including gloves and masks. On the rescue boats, we have reduced the number of people being transported in each trip, so physical distancing can be maintained. This will result in longer duration operations and more trips, but there is no option.” Read more

The Panchaganga river in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra is still flowing above the danger mark, but the rise in water level is slow and steady due to discharge of water from a dam, officials from the local administration said on Friday. According to the officials, the water level of the Panchganga at the Rajaram weir (barrage) as on Friday morning (at 7) was at 44.7 feet, which is above the danger mark. "The water level reached the danger mark (at 43 feet) on Thursday around 4 pm. Since then, the rise of water level at the Rajaram weir has been slow but steady," said a duty officer at the district disaster management cell. He said the intensity of rains in the district has reduced, but intermittent showers are continuing. "The reason behind the steady and slow rise in the water level of the Panchganga is discharge of water from the Radhanagari dam, which is filled to capacity due to rains in its catchment areas," said the officer. (PTI)

A flood alert has been issued in Kolhapur district after the Panchganga river crossed its danger level on Thursday afternoon following heavy rainfall in its catchment area over the last two days. People and livestock from the villages located in low-lying, flood-prone areas are being evacuated to safer places, said officials. A total of six teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) — four in Kolhapur and one each in Sangli and Satara — have been deployed on Wednesday. Kolhapur district disaster management officials said that some time after 3 pm on Thursday, the water level of the Panchganga river at Rajaram weir touched the 43-feet mark, considered the danger level. Read more

A combined paper prepared by more than two dozen experts in The Journal of Climate Change published in 2011 had stated that by upgrading the drainage system in Mumbai, losses associated with a one-in-100-year flood event could be reduced by 70 per cent. On Wednesday, large parts of south Mumbai were inundated after the island city reported its heaviest single-day downpour in August in 46 years with 293.8 mm of rainfall. The amount of rain that Mumbai experiences has remained unchanged over the last 80 years. The old drainage system, along with Mumbai’s then abundant open spaces, allowed the percolation of water and its faster dispersal. The gradual concretisation of open spaces has meant that the percolation of water does not happen the way it used to be. Read more

Heavy rain on Wednesday followed by intermittent shower on Thursday caused a minor landslide in Malabar Hill area that damaged water pipelines in south Mumbai. According to the BMC, four water supply pipelines were damaged, causing disruption of supply in areas like Cumballa Hill, Tardeo, Pedder Road, Sofia Lane, Altmount Road and Carmichael Road. The civic body has arranged for 30 water tankers to supply in areas affected due to the landslide. The landslide did not cause any casualties, however, the BMC said it will take about a week to restore the traffic on N S Patkar Road. Read more

Over the last two days, 361 instances of tree fall have been recorded across Mumbai with 275 in the island city alone. High intensity rain and thunder accompanied by high speed winds, reaching up to 70 kmph and occasionally gusting to over 100 kmph, were witnessed in south Mumbai on Wednesday evening, resulting in the uprooting of 141 trees. Of them, 112 were from the island city. Intermittent rain at night led to the collapse of 220 more trees. Around 40 to 50 trees collapsed after a part of the retaining wall of the Ridge Road on N S Patkar Marg collapsed late at night. Read more

As heavy rain lashed the city on Wednesday, some Covid care centres were affected by leakages and waterlogging while transport remained a hurdle for Covid-19 and non-Covid patients for two days now. In Dahisar’s jumbo Covid facility, a portion of a shed collapsed following gusty winds and torrential rain on Wednesday night. The entrance to the facility was flooded although water did not enter wards. The centre has 30 patients in intensive care unit and 50 patients in the normal ward. In the BKC facility, patients said just a “splash” of rainwater came into the wards through the ceiling but no waterlogging was recorded. “My mother just felt a shower of water whenever it was windy. But the structure remained intact,” said Sandeep Yadav, whose mother is admitted since a fortnight at the facility. In Mahalaxmi Covid centre, there was some leakage through gaps in the ceiling, but the facility has not started admitting Covid patients yet. Read more

The IMD has predicted moderate to heavy rainfall in Mumbai and the suburbs and intense showers in some parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region till Friday.  A railway spokesperson said local train services resumed around 7.45 am between the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Thane on the main line and between CMST and Vashi on the harbour line. The NDRF and the Railway authorities rescued 290 passengers on Wednesday from two local trains stranded on flooded tracks between the CSMT and the Sandhurst Road stations.

While conducting rescue operations, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are constantly in danger of catching Covid-19 infection or spreading it to those being rescued. In reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic, the NDRF has adopted a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for all types of operations and brought in changes in daily routine, accommodation norms and special protective suits.

Sachchidanand Gawade, Deputy Commandant of the Pune-headquartered 5th Battalion of NDRF, which has deployed teams across the state, said, “While the risks of the Covid-19 pandemic will be there, we will have to conduct all types of operations, mainly floodwater and structure collapse, which unfortunately happen more during the monsoon. While one risk is the rescuer catching Covid-19 infection, the more serious concern is the rescuer causing the spread if infected and asymptomatic.”

The water level of the Khadakwasla dam was increased by over 50 per cent following incessant rainfall in the region.

A portion of a dilapidated four-storey building collapsed due to incessant rainfall in Mira-Bhayandar city of Maharashtra's Thane district, a civic official said on Thursday. The building on Talao Road, which had been declared dangerous, is now being torn down by the authorities, ward officer Damodar Sankhe said. A part of the 35-year-old structure collapsed due to heavy rains, prompting firemen and local disaster cell personnel to rush to the scene, a fire officer of the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation said. The building has three wings, with 150 flats, which were vacated in March itself, he said. (PTI)

A 47-year-old man fell into a swollen nullah and was washed away in rain-hit Thane district of Maharashtra, district authorities said on Thursday. The incident took place in Mira-Bhayander township of the district on Wednesday evening and his body was found on Thursday, an official said. District Disaster Control Room chief Anita Jawanjale said the victim, Rakesh Harshora, a resident of Mahajanwadi, came out of his house looking for his two-wheeler. He accidentally fell into the swollen nullah near his house and was swept away, the official said. (PTI)

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday took stock of the state administration's preparedness in the wake of the incessant heavy rains in Mumbai and other parts of the state, including Kolhapur where the Panchganga river was flowing close to the danger mark.A statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said Thackeray asked the authorities to remain alert and ensure citizens do not face hardships. He spoke to the authorities concerned and officials of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), it said. Mumbai city received 331.08 mm rainfall while the suburbs received 162.3 mm downpour from Wednesday till 8.30 am on Thursday. The city witnessed strong winds at a speed of 106km per hour while elsewhere it was 70 to 80 kmph, it said. The chief minister asked the officials concerned to take up clearing of the uprooted trees on a war-footing. (PTI)

A day after heavy showers pounded Mumbai and neighbouring areas, the rain intensity reduced on Thursday morning and water receded in some flooded areas, leading to gradual resumption of rain and road transport services, officials said. However, some areas in south Mumbai, which witnessed a record rain on Wednesday, were still water-logged.

The Panchganga river water at Kolhapur in western Maharashtra crossed the warning level on Thursday morning following heavy rainfall in the area, the district disaster management cell said. Nine state highways and 25 other roads in the district have been affected due to the heavy rains, a Public Works Department official said.

On Thursday morning, water level of the Panchganga river at Rajaram weir reached 41.7 feet. The warning level at the weir is 39 feet while the danger level is 43 feet, according to Kolhapur's disaster management cell. Collector Daulat Desai has appealed to people living on the river banks to shift to safer places. (PTI)

The Colaba weather observatory in south Mumbai on Wednesday recorded its highest single-day precipitation in the last 22 years for the month of August, said an India Meteorological Department official. K S Hosalikar, deputy director general of IMD, Mumbai said the Colaba observatory received 293 mm rainfall from 8.30 am to 8.30 pm. In August 1998, the observatory had received 261.9 mm rainfall in 24 hours which was a record for the month till now, but Wednesday's rain broke it within only 12 hours. (PTI)

Palghar cops for saving 22 people Mumbai, Aug 6 (PTI) Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Thursday praised Palghar Police for saving the lives of 22 people who were stranded after heavy rains caused floods in parts of the district. Those rescued by the Palghar Police on Wednesday included a five-year-old girl, who remained atop a tree for over four hours. @Palghar_Polices Superintendent of Police Dattatreya Shinde and his colleagues saved the lives of 22 people in flood situation caused by extremely heavy rainfall," Deshmukh tweeted. "Also streamlined traffic removing roadblocks at many places. I am proud of the promptness shown by Palghar Police in work, he added. (PTI)