Nearly 400 evacuated as rains lash Pune

Pune, July 25 (PTI) About 400 people were evacuated to safety on Thursday following flooding in Sinhagad Road and some other areas along the riverbank in Pune city due to incessant rains, officials said.

Two columns of the Army were deployed in Sinhagad Road area which was severely affected by flooding, they said.

Besides, teams of the NDRF, fire brigade as well as the district and city disaster management cells were pressed into service to carry out relief operations.

Water entered several housing societies and houses in low-lying areas along the Sinhagad Road. Cars and two-wheelers stood in water.

“So far 400 people from Sinhagad Road area have been shifted to safety,” said Suhas Divsae, district collector.

Army personnel were helping with relief operations in Ekta Nagar in Sinhagad Road area, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the Pune district for another 48 hours, and as heavy rains are expected to continue later in the day in the catchment areas of Khadakwasla and other upstream dams, more water was likely to be released from Khadakwasla reservoir (increasing the water level in the Mutha river that flows through the city), the collector said.

Tourist places such as waterfalls and lakes in Pune district have been closed to tourists.

There were, however, no reports of any village in the district getting cut off due to the rains, Divase said.

Besides schools, private establishments and offices in affected areas have been asked to give a holiday to their employees, he said.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar visited the PMC’s disaster management cell to take stock of the situation.