Pune Rains Highlights: Rains take a break, flooding concerns remain as dams continue heavy discharge into rivers

Due to incessant rain and discharge of water from the dam, the electricity supply to about 3050 consumers in Pune, Pimpri city and Khed, Maval and Ambegaon talukas has been shut off for safety reasons, as per MSEDCL authorities.

Due to the release of water from Khadakwasla dam, power supply to about 1950 consumers such as Pulachi Wadi and Premnagar in Deccan area of ​​Nadipatra area, 450 of 7 societies in Ektanagar on Sinhagad road, 100 in Balewadim Dhye Bhimnagar, 400 in Shantinagar and Indiranagar in Vishrantwadi, 450 in Old Bazar area in Mangalwar Peth and 450 in Tadiwala Road area.

Closed for security. In Pimpri, the power supply of 400 consumers in Sanjay Gandhinagar and Pimpri Camp has been stopped.

Also, electricity supply to about 700 consumers in Vadivale, Valakh, Budhwadi, Sangise, Nesave, Khandshi and Sakurdi, Kahu, Vetale, Saigaon Kothule in Khed taluka has been cut off due to the power system being flooded. Landslides are taking place in the villages of Panchale Khurd and Vachpe at the foot of the hill in Ambegaon taluka. The citizens there have been relocated. Also, in view of electricity security, the electricity supply of about 15 customers there has been stopped.

Vaikunt Crematorium and the crematorium at Sinhagad Road are non operational due to flooding. A press statement by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has also said only the gas crematorium at Aundh is functional. All other crematoriums in the city are working fine.

The irrigation department has started discharge of 20,000 cusecs of water from the Ujjani reservoir on Sunday afternoon for the first time this season. Incessant rains upstreams of the Bhima has seen the Ujjani dam fill up fast which has led to the discharge.

Since the last few days, Ujjani which lies at the tail end of the Bhima river system has filled up quickly. On Sunday, Ujjani was filled upto 90 per cent of its 110 TMC capacity as compared to 5.99 per cent of last year. Incessant rains in Khadakwasla dam network has seen over 10 TMC of water being released along the river. Rains have continued over the last few weeks which has led to the rise in water levels of dams across Pune district. With more rains being predicted for the district, further discharge is being expected for the dams. All dams in the district have started discharging water directly in the rivers.

Due to continuous discharge along the Mula river, water has entered Dapodi and Bopodi areas in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. The underpass below Harris Bridge might soon be closed for traffic as water has started flooding it

Rains in Lonavala have finally reduced even as water continues to be discharged from the Tata dams. The hill station of Lonavala has seen torrential rains from Saturday which has increased the chances of accidents. Due to rains in Lonavala, discharge from Pavana dam and Mulshi dam have increased.

Water is being discharged in Mutha river from Khadakwasla dam at 35002 cusecs. This rate will be increased to 45,000 cusecs at 5 pm.

Irrigation Department authorities are changing the discharge rates in various dams as per the rains received in the catchment areas. At 2 pm, the discharge rates - the rate at which the water from the dams was being allowed to enter in the rivers downstream - is given in the illustration.

Although rains have taken a break in Pune city, considering the downpour in ghat areas and the instruction of the administration to bring the Khadakwasla storage down to 65 per cent as a precautionary measure, the discharge from the dam will be increased to 45,000 cusecs at 5 pm.

Discharge from Panshet dam will also be increased to 12,432 cusecs at 4 pm. The discharge is being increased due to increasing water level in the dam and continuing downpour in the catchment areas.

As rain continues to pound Pune district and dam discharge levels continue to rise, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has sounded red alert to people living along the Pavana and Mula rivers. Since this morning, the PCMC has already shifted 1,000 citizens to safer places.

Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh, who is visiting various flood-prone areas since morning, said in Sanjay Gandhi Nagar and Subhash Nagar areas of Pimpri, water has touched the houses of residents living in close proximity. ''We are using the help of the police to shift them. Some people refuse to move out of their house till they find themselves in trouble. There we are taking the help of the police to move them out,'' he said.

The PCMC chief said the Pavana dam discharge has gone up to 10,000 cusecs while the Mulshi dam discharge is at 27,000 cusecs. ''If it continued to rain like this then situation will turn critical by evening,'' he said.

Civic officials said a team of NDRF is stationed at Chinchwad in case the situation worsens. The team arrived in Pimpri-Chinchwad this morning. The Disaster Management Unt of PCMC is working directly under the municipal commissioner. There are three Additional Municipal Commissioners who have been allocated different areas. Under them, are deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners besides the zonal officers.

Fire Brigade personnel have rescued 25 people from Ekta Nagar and 20 people from Nimboj Nagar who were stuck inside their houses in residential areas where water had entered the ground floor parking.

The personnel also rescued a pet dog and a cat from these areas.

In Ekta Nagar on Sinhagad Road, teams from Suncity Fire Station and PMRDA Fire Brigade have been deployed with three boats. Navale Fire Station is operating at Nimboj Nagar.

A team from Janata Fire Station is operating at Dattawadi Ghat. A fire engine from Kasba Fire Station has been deployed in the riverbed near Bhide Bridge.

A fire engine and team from Erandwane Fire Station is deployed in the riverbed near Pulachi Wadi. A fire tender from Yerwada Fire Station and a rescue van from PMRDA fire brigade are operating at Vishrantwadi. A fire engine from Naidu Fire Station is operating at Tadiwala Road.

According to Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited officials, the LT electricity supply of Indira Nagar and Shanti Nagar (Vishrant Wadi subdivision) area has been disconnected due to flooding. About 400 consumers have been affected as a result of the disconnection.

Three distribution transformers of Sanjay Gandhi Nagar, Pimpri Camp have been switched off as a precautionary measure due to water logging.

In Ekta Nagar, precautionary measures have led to shutting down of three distribution transformers, as a result of which at least 118 consumers have been affected.

Under criticism for failure to effectively handle the flood-like situation in Pune ten days ago, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde directed the district and civic administration on Saturday to prepare a report to undertake permanent rehabilitation of residents living in the city’s flood-prone areas.

Shinde held a meeting of officials of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), district collectorate and irrigation department after a delegation of Maharashtra Navnirman Sen (MNS), led by party chief Raj Thackeray, raised the issue in the meeting.

“The administration should plan for permanent rehabilitation of residents living in the blue line of the Mula-Mutha river that passes across the city. A rehabilitation report should be prepared, and a retaining wall should be constructed alongside the river on Sinhagad road as an immediate measure,” he said in Mumbai.

Read more here.

The heavy rains that hit the city this monsoon have the Pune Metro authority rushing to fix the plugs as several stations have been found to be leaking, with water on the floor, rendering the stations dangerous.

Almost all stations including Deccan Gymkhana, Garware College, Sambhaji Garden, Vanaz metro stations have reported multiple leaks including near the ticket counters, entry and exit points, and platforms.

The passengers are struggling to walk on wet floors while the station staff have to scramble to contain the leaked water by placing buckets and garbage beans. The Indian Express saw that among the worst affected are senior citizens who were struggling to walk on wet and slippery floors.

Read the full story here.

At present, the water discharge from Khadakwasla Dam (which is 90 per cent full) is at 35,000 cusecs. The dam releases water in the Mutha river which proceeds into the Pune City.

The Tata Power-Mulshi dam is releasing 27,340 into Mula river due to heavy rainfall in its catchment area overnight. The discharge will be increased to 30,500 cusecs at 3 pm, officials at Tata Power-Mulshi dam said.

The discharge from Khadakwasla dam affects low-lying areas along Mutha such as Ekta Nagri, Sarita Nagri areas along Sinhagad Road and, Deccan riverbed.

Discharge from Mulshi dam into Mula affects areas such as Paud, Lavale, and Nande and the suburbs of Hinjewadi, Kaspate Wasti, Balewadi, and some other areas in Pimpri-Chinchwad.

As both the rivers drain into the Mula-Mutha confluence at Sangam Bridge, the areas such as Patil Estate will be affected and have been put under warning by the authorities.

Given the constant discharge of water from almost all the dams in the Pune district of Maharashtra, Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporations have warned residents of flooding in low-lying areas. Deputy Chief Minister and Pune Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar asked the district authorities to prepare on war footing to ensure no loss and inconvenience to the citizens.

Since Friday evening, Pune and its surrounding areas have experienced heavy to intense rain, especially in the ghat regions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the ghat regions of Pune and Satara districts.

Pune city and the plains of the district have been placed under an orange alert. The IMD has predicted continuous rain in and around the city for 24 hours. In the last 24 hours, Lonavala has received 212 mm of rainfall.

Read the full story here.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has directed the irrigation department to bring storage in Khadakasla dam to 65 percent by releasing as much water it can release in the day time.

This is being done to ensure if there is more rainfall at night, then there will be no serious situation arising in the city.

Pune Collector Suhas Diwase visits Ekta Nagari area on Sinhagad Road which had been witnessing worst flooding over the past month.

As torrential rains continued to batter Pune on Sunday, an Army Relief Column was deployed in Ekta Nagar to address the flooding in low-lying areas.

Over a hundred personnel, equipped with rescue boats, quadcopters, and other essential gear, were sent to provide immediate assistance and restore normalcy amid the relentless downpour, according to a post by the Southern Command of the Indian Army on X (formerly Twitter).

A total of 395 people were provided shelter in civic facilities around the city. This included ten people from Ekta Nagar on Sinhagad Road being given shelter at civic-owned Wanjale Poll hall where they were provided with food and blankets.

About 40 people from Shantinagar slums of Yerawada were shifted to civic-run Puralekar school and Annabhau Sathe hall in Shantinagar. And 35 from Cheema Garden in Yerawada were shifted to Col Young school, and about 100 people from Pulachi wadi in Deccan to Apte School.

This also included 70 people from Rajputwasti, Erandwane to Khilare school, 50 people from Dattawadi to Jagtap school, and 100 people from Adarsh Nagar in Bopodi to Rajendra Prasad school in Bopodi.

Pune Municipal Commissioner Rajendra Bhonsale, addressing the media on the weather conditions in the city, said that with increased discharge from the dams, water may enter residential areas of Sinhagad Road, Sangamwadi, Dandekar Bridge, Harris Bridge, Baner, and Balewadi.

"I urge residents to take this notice seriously. We have deployed teams in the low-lying areas to deal with the situation. In case of emergency, residents can contact the emergency numbers issued by PMC," he said.

The residents can contact the emergency cell of PMC on 020 - 25501269, 020 - 25506800.

In view of the increased discharge of water from the dams, the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSDECL) has shut down electricity supply to 100 consumers along the Deccan region and 30 consumers along Singhagad Road.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Pune and surrounding regions.

The weather agency has predicted very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in and around the city on Sunday, which would translate into Pune receiving more than 204.4 mm rainfall in the next 24 hours.

Given the high intensity of rainfall, the city is supposed to be receiving, chances of water logging, traffic jam and low visibility are expected. IMD has asked people to be careful while driving. The chances of rock falling and minor landslides have not been ruled out.

As torrential rains continued to batter Pune on Sunday, an Army Relief Column was deployed in Ekta Nagar to address the flooding in low-lying areas. Over a hundred personnel, equipped with rescue boats, quadcopters, and other essential gear, were sent to provide immediate assistance and restore normalcy amid the relentless downpour, according to a post by the Southern Command of the Indian Army on X (formerly Twitter).

Welcome to our live blog. Please follow here for the latest updates from Pune!