150-year-old village near Mumbai cut off as Patalganga River floods Dolghar

A 150yearold fishing village barely 60 km from Mumbai has once again been cut off from the outside world after the overflowing Patalganga River submerged large parts of Dolghar in Panvel Rural Raigad districtFor the past four days nearly 1450 residents from around 350 households have remained stranded without electricity transport or mobile connectivity Floodwaters have inundated around 60 per cent of the village leaving families dependent on boats for emergencies and a community kitchen for foodFloodwaters from the overflowing Patalganga River cut off Dolghar village in Panvel Rural Raigad leaving residents stranded for four days without electricity transportm or mobile connectivity PicsSpecial ArrangementWhile the rains eased briefly on Tuesday fresh showers on Wednesday pushed up the river level again prolonging the crisis Villagers say the flooding is not new mdash they have been seeking permanent rehabilitation for over three decadesBy the numbersgtgt 1450 residents affectedgtgt 350 households in the villagegtgt 60 of houses inundatedgtgt 4 days without electricitygtgt 100 lowlying houses repeatedly floodgtgt 200 houses on higher ground remain relatively safergtgt 1520 minutes boat ride to reach the nearest motorable roadgtgt 700800 metres of approach road gets submerged during heavy rainFloodwater enters a house damaging belongings and forcing people to move outWhat villagers are facinggtgt No electricity for four daysgtgt Mobile network unavailable inside the villagegtgt Roads cut off by floodwatersgtgt Community kitchen feeding stranded residentsgtgt Shortage of medicines and daily essentialsgtgt Snakes and rodents entering flooded homesgtgt Elderly patients and pregnant women dependent on boats during emergenciesOfficial speakPanvel Rural Tehsildar Jitendra Ingale said the 700800 metre approach road is submerged whenever the Patalganga River swells due to heavy rain and high tideHe said a proposal has been sent to higher authorities for permanent rehabilitation along with a bridge and approach roadldquoDolghar is a lowlying floodprone village close to the river We are identifying an alternative site for permanent rehabilitation Apta has already been rehabilitated and Dolghar is next in linerdquoVoice of the peopleRaju Patil residentlsquoThere has been no electricity for four days and mobile networks are unavailable People have to climb nearby higher ground just to get a phone signal About 90 per cent of the village gets affected whenever the river floods The government had identified land for rehabilitation but the proposal has never moved forward Even if residents have to contribute financially we are ready We only want a safe place to liversquoJanardhan Koli 54 residentlsquoMost houses were submerged The water has started going down but the roads are still affected and there is no electricity After every flood we have to clean our floors and utensils 10 to 15 times before they become usable again When children are around we have to chase away snakes and other animals to keep them safersquoWhy rehabilitation is still stuckAccording to villagers Dolghar was declared floodprone in 1989 and officially recognised as a floodaffected village in 1993 making residents eligible for rehabilitation In 1992 the Panvel SubDivisional Officer approved 100 residential plots under the Maharashtra Land Revenue CodeThe proposal includedgtgt 61 plots for farmersgtgt 39 plots for nonfarmersgtgt Land from Survey No 821 measuring 427 hectaresHowever the plots were never handed over because beneficiaries did not deposit occupancy chargesA Karnala Circle Officerrsquos report submitted in January 2023 confirmed the allotment process had remained pending for more than 30 yearsResidents have since told authorities they are willing to pay the pending charges along with penaltiesTimeline1989 Dolghar declared floodprone1992 100 rehabilitation plots sanctioned1993 Village officially recognised as floodaffectedJanuary 6 2023 Villagers renew demand and offer to pay pending occupancy chargesJanuary 2023 Circle Officer confirms allotment remains pendingJuly 2026 Village cut off again after heavy rainsNGO speakSantosh Thakur FounderPresident Gram Sanvardhan Social OrganizationDolghar has been classified as a floodaffected area since the 1990 floods yet the process of allotting plots to affected families remains stalled If the government allocates the already earmarked plots these families can finally be rehabilitatedOfficial speakPanvel Rural Tehsildar Jitendra Ingale said the 700800 metre approach road is submerged whenever the Patalganga River swells due to heavy rain and high tideHe said a proposal has been sent to higher authorities for permanent rehabilitation along with a bridge and approach roadDolghar is a lowlying floodprone village close to the river We are identifying an alternative site for permanent rehabilitation The nearby villages of Apta and Kelavne were also affected but the situation there has been resolved Apta has already been rehabilitated and Dolghar is next in line