Maharashtra rains: Flooded Indrayani River cuts off Alandi; Warkaris asked to halt pilgrimage

Heavy monsoon rain has caused the Indrayani River to overflow cutting off access to Alandi in Pune district in Maharashtra after all four bridges leading into the temple town were submerged reported the PTIThe Pune district administration has appealed to Warkaris and other devotees not to travel to Alandi until the flood situation improvesWith the India Meteorological Department IMD issuing a red alert for Pune on Monday officials warned that travelling to Alandi is currently unsafeIn a public advisory the administration urged devotees who had already started their journey to stop at their present locations instead of attempting to enter the town the news agency reportedThe officials also asked people not to believe rumours and to rely only on official updates issued by the district administration police and disaster management authoritiesPilgrims asked to stay away from river and bridgesOfficials advised devotees to stay away from the flooded riverbed ghats and bridges all of which have been closed due to rising water levelsThe administration said all necessary measures are being taken to ensure public safety and requested citizens to cooperate until conditions improve as per the PTICM Fadnavis urges Warkaris to join wari in PuneMaharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis appealed to Warkaris and devotees not to travel to Alandi or Dehu as severe flooding in the Indrayani River has made access to Alandi unsafe an official statement saidThe Chief Minister said all four bridges leading into Alandi have been submerged due to the flood and urged pilgrims who have already begun their journey to halt at a safe location Those who have reached Pune have been advised to participate in the Wari from Pune instead of proceeding to Alandi or DehuFadnavis also urged devotees to strictly follow instructions issued by the administration police and disaster management authorities avoid believing rumours and stay away from riverbanks ghats and closed bridgesHe said the government is taking all necessary steps to ensure public safety and appealed for public cooperation until the flood situation improvesPalakhi procession scheduled for July8Thousands of devotees were expected to arrive in Alandi ahead of the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palakhi Procession scheduled for July 8The annual pilgrimage attracts large numbers of Warkaris from across Maharashtra making safety arrangements a priority during the ongoing heavy rainfall reported the PTIHeavy rain impacts PuneHeavy rain continued to lash Pune district and nearby areas on Monday leading to flooding and a landslide in Maval talukaThe landslide also affected traffic on the MumbaiPune Expressway adding to travel disruptions caused by the severe monsoon conditionsDistrict administration shuts schools in PuneThe Pune district administration declared a holiday for all schools on Monday after the India Meteorological Department IMD issued a red alert warning of extremely heavy rainfallOfficials said the decision was taken as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of students amid the possibility of intense rainfall across the districtThe weather departmentrsquos warning prompted authorities to advise residents to remain cautious and avoid unnecessary travel during periods of heavy rainThe Pune Municipal Corporation PMC also appealed to citizens to avoid stepping out unless necessary and follow safety instructions issued by local authorities hellip pictwittercomFOOYGgS3D7mdash PMC Care PMCPune July 5 2026with PTI inputs