Maha: Several people evacuated from low-lying areas in Thane and Palghar as rivers swell

Several people were evacuated from lowlying areas in Maharashtras Thane and Palghar districts and were shifted to safer places as heavy rains pounded the two districts on Wednesday causing waterlogging in many localities Schools and colleges remained closed in many parts of Palghar district because of the heavy downpourIn the 24 hours ending at 830 am Wednesday Thane city received 9008 mm of rainfallMany rivers including the Ulhas Thane Amba Savitri and Patalganga in neighbouring Raigad were in spate they saidSome bridges on the Ulhas Kalu and Murbadi rivers in Thane were inundated the officials saidA team of NDRF was dispatched to rescue some people trapped in Kalyan township as water from the swollen Ulhas river flooded some localities a district official saidThe Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation KDMC said the level of the Ulhas river is on the rise and as a precautionary measure the water supply from the Mohili water treatment plant is being stoppedMany areas in Bhiwandi city also in Thane district are marooned due to heavy rainsAs many as 200 families from Sonivali and Hendrepada in Badlapur town of Thane have been shifted to safer places following heavy downpours and flooding in those areas District Information Officer Nandkumar Waghmare saidAround 60 families from Morya Nagar in Kalyan taluka and inmates of a senior citizens home in Ambarnath town in Thane district were also shifted to safer places he saidAlso readMonsoon rains Schools in Mumbai Thane Raigad and Palghar to remain shut on ThursdayA report from the Thane district headquarters said the Amba river in Nagotane Savitri in Mahad Patalganga in Lohap and Ulhas river in Jambulpada have crossed the danger markThe Kundalika river in Dolvahal Ulhas in Badlapur and Kalu in Titwala have crossed the warning level it saidAlso some bridges were inundated between Rayte and Dahagaon over Ulhas river on the road leading to Chikle village over Kalu river and over the Murbadi river in Murbad a district administration official saidA portion of the protection wall between two housing societies in Thane collapsed in the morning after a huge tree fell on it a civic official saidNo one was injured in the incidentA total of 13 cases of tree fall were reported in Thane during the last 24 hours the official said adding the civic authorities also received calls about damage to vehicles at various placesSome areas in Vasai were waterlogged and teams of the National Disaster Response Force NDRF police and revenue department carried out rescue and relief operations he saidMeanwhile two jawans of Thane Disaster Response Force TDRS saved two men from drowning in the Upvan lake in Thane city on Wednesday Disaster Management Cell chief Yasin Tadvi saidAreas adjoining rivers and sea shores in Palghar district have been put on high alert and an NDRF team has been positioned in the VasaiVirar region to tackle any emergency due to floods officials saidMore than 100 people were evacuated from waterlogged areas in Vasai and shifted to safer places amid high tide Resident Deputy Collector Subhash Bhagade told PTIA fourmonthold infant slipped out of the hands of a woman walking on railway tracks and fell into a nullah between Thakurli and Kalyan stations in Thane district as heavy rains disrupted local train servicesNDRF personnel are trying to trace the infant an official said on Wednesday nightA 14yearold girl drowned in a swollen drain while her 12yearold brother was rescued by people in Bhiwandi city of Thane district in the afternoon amid a downpour a civic official saidThe incident occurred when the brothersister duo was walking home after attending school the official saidIn Katrap area in Ambernath town several school students got stuck in flood waters They were rescued by local people using ropes PTI