Heavy Rains Cause School Closures and Flooding in Maharashtra
The Palghar Collector has declared a holiday for all schools and colleges on Thursday after the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for Palghar district, predicting heavy rain.
Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s Actions
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar reviewed the situation at Pune district headquarters after heavy rains hit the district. He discussed relief measures with the District Collector and the District Disaster Management Chief. Authorities have been instructed to provide necessary assistance to affected people, especially in Khadakwasla and Pimpri-Chinchwad areas.
Water Release from Khadakwasla Dam
Due to continuous rainfall, the catchment area of Khadakwasla Dam reached full capacity. The Pune administration released water into the Mutha River at 6 a.m. at a rate of 40,000 cusecs. Earlier, at 4 a.m., water was released at a speed of 27,203 cusecs. Residents along the riverbanks have been alerted to be cautious.
Flooding in Pune
Heavy rains on Wednesday night caused water to enter houses in Ekta Nagri and Vitthal Nagar areas. The Pune Fire Department used boats to evacuate residents.
Overflowing Vihar Lake in Mumbai
In Mumbai, Vihar Lake, one of the city’s water sources, started overflowing at 3:50 a.m. on Thursday. The lake’s full storage capacity is 2,769.8 crore litres.
Weather Alerts and Predictions
The District Information Office predicted gusty winds of 50 to 60 km per hour in isolated places over Palghar, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, and moderate rain in Kolhapur and the Ghat areas of Pune. Pune District Magistrate Suhas Diwas ordered schools in Pune to close as the IMD issued a red alert for Pune city and surrounding areas. The public has been advised to stay indoors unless necessary.
IMD Director Sunil Kambe stated, “Monsoon is very active in Maharashtra. We issued a red alert for Pune yesterday, and the city recorded 114 mm of rain, with more than 200 mm in the Ghat areas. Mumbai received over 65 mm of rain in the last 24 hours. Today, a yellow alert has been issued in Mumbai and an orange alert for Pune.”
Doubts Revealed
Palghar Collector -: The Palghar Collector is a government official in charge of the Palghar district in Maharashtra. They make important decisions for the area, like closing schools during heavy rains.
Deputy CM -: Deputy CM stands for Deputy Chief Minister. Ajit Pawar is the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, which means he is one of the top leaders in the state government.
Khadakwasla -: Khadakwasla is a place in Pune, Maharashtra. It is known for the Khadakwasla Dam, which helps store and manage water for the city.
Pimpri-Chinchwad -: Pimpri-Chinchwad is a large city near Pune in Maharashtra. It is an important industrial and residential area.
Khadakwasla Dam -: Khadakwasla Dam is a big dam near Pune. It stores water and helps control flooding by releasing water into the Mutha River.
Vihar Lake -: Vihar Lake is a lake in Mumbai. It provides water to the city and can overflow during heavy rains.
IMD -: IMD stands for India Meteorological Department. It is the government agency that predicts the weather and issues warnings about things like heavy rain and storms.
Red and orange alerts -: Red and orange alerts are warnings given by the IMD. A red alert means very heavy rain is expected, and an orange alert means heavy rain is likely. These alerts help people prepare for bad weather.
