Pune rains: Situation might get critical, says collector

Pune received heavy rains on Sunday with district authorities issuing an advisory asking people to be alert as the situation could turn critical, and ordering schools and colleges to be shut on Monday. The India Meteorological Department late Sunday evening predicted "moderate to heavy rains" in isolated parts of Pune city for the next five days and "heavy to very heavy rains" for the district's ghat regions in the same period.

Low-lying areas in the district were on alert after water was released into the Mutha river on Sunday following incessant rains in the catchment areas of dams supplying water to the city. Later in the day, district collector Naval Kishore Ram said orders had been issued to keep educational institutions here and Pimpri Chinchwad shut on Monday in view of the rains.

He said Mula, Mutha, Pavana, Bhima and Nira rivers were in spate and there was possibility of more water being released from the adjoining dams as catchment areas continued to get heavy rain as on Sunday evening. "We have issued an advisory for citizens asking them not to venture out of their houses unless absolutely necessary as the situation might get critical," Ram said.

He said between 2000-2500 people had been rescued so far from flooded areas of the district. Seven members of a family stranded in a flooded house in Kamshet area were rescued by a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), an official from the agency said.

With more water being released from the Khadakwasla dam, water gushed into several low-lying areas in Balewadi, Baner, Aundh, Yerwada, Sinhgad Road and Bopodi. According to the irrigation department, the catchment areas of four dams - Khadakwasla, Panshet, Varasgaon and Temghar - have been witnessing continuous rainfall.

"All the four dams are filled to their maximum storage capacity. As a result, we have already started releasing water into the Mutha river," a senior official from the irrigation department said. From 11 am on Sunday, around 35,574 cusecs (cubic foot per second) of water was being released from Khadakwasla dam.

Since the catchment areas were still witnessing rainfall, around 41,756 cusecs of water will be released at 3 pm, he said. "When water will be released at the rate of around 42,000 cusecs, a lot of people will have to be evacuated from the low-lying areas...we have issued an advisory to the Pune Municipal Corporation's disaster management cell," he said.

"Several areas are already inundated and more are likely to be affected as water is released from the dam," he said. "As far as Pune is concerned, especially the ghat areas, there is a heavy to very heavy rain warning for the next five days. For Pune city, there is moderate to heavy rain warning in isolated areas. Tomorrow onwards, for Pune city, light to moderate rain is expected over next two to three days," said Anupam Kashyapi, head, weather department, IMD.

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