The exceptionally heavy rainfall in the last four days has led to mass flooding across Maharashtra. The floods have led to four deaths and hundreds of citizens have been evacuated as all the major rivers in the State flow in spate.

However, the floods have also given a massive boost to water availability in the dams. On Sunday, the cumulative capacity of the all the dams was 56 per cent of the total designed live storage. Last year, during the same period, the capacity was 58 per cent.

In a dam, water is classified as live storage and designed live storage. Live storage can be used easily used for drinking and irrigation. Designed live storage refers to storage capacity.

In the Thane and Plaghar districts, the situation worsened on Sunday.

According to a press statement issued by the Defence PRO in Mumbai, the Army has mobilised 120 personnel for search and rescue. Airforce helicopters were also used for airlifting 58 citizens to safety. At the time of going to press, another attempt was being made by the IAF to rescue more people.

The heavy water-logging in Mumbai also disrupted suburban rail services, with many locals trains being delayed and long-distance trains halted midway.

The power supply in Thane and Palghar was also affected as the power distribution company switched off the main lines to prevent accidental electrocution. The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company in a media statement said that power supply was stopped from the Vasai substation as a precautionary measure due to damaged transformers. Around 1.5 lakh customers in Vasai, Girij, Sandor, Kolar, Navghar, Sativali, Sun City and Vasai West have been affected.

 

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