Mumbai: Mumbai and adjoining districts, which have been relentlessly buffeted by rainfall since Friday, awoke to waterlogged streets and intense showers yet again on Sunday.
While disaster management teams successfully rescued several stranded people across the state, two people were feared drowned. Twenty-three-year-old Raja Mehboob Shaikh fell into the Rajiv Gandhi Nullah, a major stormwater drain that connects to the Mithi river in Dharavi, while a 16-year-old boy was washed away in floodwater in Palghar district. The police and the fire brigade were making all efforts to trace them. A woman, Mala Nagam (52), and her son, Sanket (26), also died due to electrocution. The duo resided at the slums in Patel Nagar near Rajeshambhaji School in Santa Cruz (east). According to Ashwini Joshi, additional commissioner, BMC, the incident happened when the duo was trying to enter their house. They were later rushed to civic-run V.N. Desai Hospital where they were declared brought dead.
The Maharashtra government, meanwhile, declared Monday a holiday and all schools and colleges will be closed in light of the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) warnings of heavy rainfall for the next 48 hours and the prevailing situation in the city as well as Thane, Palghar, and Raigad. Also, employees of government and semi-government have been allowed to report late for duty.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted that he had spoken with the chief secretary and asked that a holiday be declared on Monday in schools and colleges in Mumbai and Mumbai Metropolitan Region. A holiday had already been declared for Nashik earlier in the day due to flooding.
A major portion of a bridge connecting Wada and Malwada on Pinjal River in Palghar was washed away on Sunday afternoon. The bridge being a vital connector, the traffic in Palghar came to a standstill.
