Maharashtra News: Pune Faces Severe Flooding After Record-Breaking July Rainfall

Pune and surrounding areas experienced heavy to very heavy rainfall on Wednesday night and throughout Thursday, breaking records for the season. The downpour led to significant flooding, with Khadakwasla Dam releasing up to 40,000 cusecs of water in the morning and again in the evening. This resulted in severe flooding on Sinhgad Road and other low-lying areas.

The Pune Municipal Corporation, aided by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Army, evacuated several residents to safety on Thursday. Areas in Pimpri-Chinchwad, including Kasarwadi, Chincholi, Thergaon, and the Pune-Mumbai highway, were heavily inundated.

Tragically, the torrential rains resulted in four fatalities in the district, including landslides at Tamhini Ghat in Maval and Lavasa. The heavy rainfall also led to the closure of all tourist spots in the district for two days as a precautionary measure.

District Collector Dr. Suhas Diwase informed that two NDRF teams and army personnel were deployed for flood relief operations. Due to the continued threat of heavy rain, Dr. Diwase has declared a holiday for all schools and colleges in the district today. Residents have been advised to venture out only if absolutely necessary.

The weather department has forecasted medium to heavy rainfall today, with some areas, particularly in the ghat regions and dam catchment areas, expected to experience very heavy rains.