The boulder fall occurred at around 6:30 pm on Tuesday, following heavy rainfall in the area, they said, adding that train movement has been halted at several points along the route, causing delays and inconvenience to passengers
There is heavy rain in the area. Due to which the clearance of landslides is being delayed, said an official. Pic/ Special arrangement by Rajendra B. Aklekar
Unseasonal rains in parts of Maharashtra on Tuesday caused a boulder fall between Veravali and Vilavade stations on the Konkan Railway line in Ratnagiri district, affecting train services in the region, officials said.
The boulder fall occurred at around 6:30 pm on Tuesday, following heavy rainfall in the area, they said, adding that train movement has been halted at several points along the route, causing delays and inconvenience to passengers.
According to Konkan Railway officials, boulder fall clearance work is being carried out on a war footing, but the ongoing heavy rains are slowing down the efforts.
They said that following the incident the boulders and mud clearance work was underway on war footing, an official said.
"There is heavy rain in the area. Due to which the clearance of landslides is being delayed," said an official.
"It was planned work of loose scaling in the Veravali Vilavde section was underway with the protection of the site from both sides. During the work few boulders were rolled down and infringed on the track. An emergency Block was executed to remove the infringement and protection of the site. Adequate precautions were taken and Traffic was restored within two and a half hours reporting of the incident. Few trains were regulated at sufficiently bigger stations where frequent announcements for the passengers were made. Adequate catering arrangements were done at Ratnagiri, Vaibhavwadi, Sawant wadi, stations," Girish Karandikar, Chief Public Relations Officer, Konkan Railway, told mid-day.
Parts of Maharashtra on Tuesday witnessed thunderstorm and rains.
In a weather bulletin earlier, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted heavy rains in some parts of Maharashtra.
The IMD had on Tuesday issued a yellow alert for Ratnagiri district, predicting 'heavy to very heavy rainfall and thunderstorm with lightning and gusty winds (50-
60 kmph) at isolated places'.
A nowcast warning issued by the IMD Mumbai at 4:30 pm on May 20, "Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning and moderate to intense spells of rain with gusty winds reaching 50-60 kmph very likely to occur at isolated places in the districts of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg during next 3-4 hours."
An orange alert for Pune, Satara, Sangli and several other parts of Maharashtra, predicting 'heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorm and lightning on May 20.
The weather department has issued an orange alert for Pune, Ghats of Pune, Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Latur and Dharashiv districts of Maharashtra.
According to the IMD, a cyclonic circulation is likely to form over the Arabian Sea off the Karnataka coast around May 21.
The system could impact weather across Maharashtra, particularly in South Konkan and Mumbai, between May 21 and 24. Heavy rain, stormy conditions and gusty winds are expected during this period. Residents and commuters are advised to follow official weather updates and take necessary precautions, an IMD official said.
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