Nashik: Heavy rains and release of water from Gangapur dam into the Godavari river caused a flood-like situation in some areas of Maharashtra's Nashik district on Sunday. Collector Suraj Mandhare declared a holiday for schools and colleges in the district on Monday, officials said.
More than 20,000 cusecs (cubic foot per second) of water was released from the Gangapur dam on Sunday morning, which led to the Godavari river flowing above the danger mark, an official at the district collectorate said.
This also caused water-logging around some temples located on the banks of the river, he said, adding that the water reached up to the neck of the Dutondya Maruti, a statue of Lord Hanuman on the river bed, and was just a few feet below the Ram Setu bridge.
At 8am, around 26,150 cusecs of water was released from Darna dam into the river following heavy showers, the official added. Heavy rains continued to lash the city and tribal-dominated tehsils of Igatpuri, Trimbakeshwar, Peint, Surgana, Nashik and Dindori on Sunday, he said.
In the 24 hours that ended at 8 am on Sunday, the Trimbakeshwar tehsil received 315 millimetres of rain, followed by Igatpuri-220 mm, Peint-200 mm, Surgana-180 mm,
Nashik-84 mm, Dindori-68 mm, Niphad-25.3 mm and Kalwan-27 mm, as per data provided by the collector's office.
Around 60 people from Saykheda village were shifted to a safer place, as the river Godavari was in spate in the area, a district administration official said.
A house collapsed in the city's Goreram area in the afternoon but there was no report of casualties, he said. Vehicular traffic on Mumbai-Nashik, Nahsik-Peint and Nashik-Javhar roads was affected due to the rains, while a large number of people had to camp at Nashik railway station due to disruption of train schedules on Mumbai-headquartered Central Railway, an official said.
A landslide in Kasara Ghat region led to suspension of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation bus services between Mumbai and Nashik, he added.
Later in the evening, Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan chaired a review meeting attended by Mandhare, Nashik Municipal Chief Radhakrishna Game, Police Commissioner Vishwas Nangare Patil and Major Kishore Singh Shekhavat of the Army, besides local MLAs, officials said.
Mahajan asked the district administration to forcibly remove people residing in the Kazigadi area if they fail to do so voluntarily, as it could be a danger spot if water levels increase.
Mandhare informed at the meeting that 110 Army personnel, besides National Disaster Response jawans, have been kept on stand-by for rescue and relief work, an official
statement said.
It added that Mahajan, who is guardian minister of the district, visited flooded areas like Saraf Bazar, Kazigadi, Ganeshwadi and Walmik Nagar.
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