Four persons died in rain-related incidents in Maharashtra’s Pune district on Thursday, reported The Indian Express.

Three of them were electrocuted in water in Pune city’s Deccan Gymkhana locality. The fourth died in a landslide in Adarwadi village in Maval tehsil. A fifth person was injured in the landslide, according to the newspaper.

According to India Meteorological Department data, Pune International Airport received 96.8mm of rain in the 24 hours ending 8 am on Thursday. A weather station at the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla recorded 167.5 millimetres of rain in the same period, while a third in Shivajinagar received 114 millimetres and a fourth in Pashan recorded 117.2 millimetres.

Between 64.5 and 115.5 millimetres of precipitation in 24 hours is classified as “heavy rain” by the central weather agency. “Very heavy rain” is when a weather station receives over 115.5 millimetres of precipitation within 24 hours.

Pune District Collector Suhas Diwase told The Indian Express that industries and private offices have been asked to stay shut on Thursday. “People who report to offices or industrial units may get stuck due to waterlogging and flooding,” he said. “It’s important to avoid taking this risk.”

At least 160 persons who were stranded in buildings situated on sloping terrain or in low-lying areas were rescued, the newspaper reported citing unidentified Pune Fire Brigade officials.

Over 200 firefighters and other members of the brigade have been deployed across Pune. Since midnight on Thursday, they responded to 16 incidents of houses, residential complexes and commercial buildings getting flooded.

Teams of the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force have been deployed in Pune and the Army and airlifting teams are also on high alert, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde told ANI.

“There is water on the roads and in the houses of people in Pune,” he said. “There is a lot of rain at Khadakwasla dam and in the catchment area. The district collector, municipal commissioner and police commissioner are on alert.”

Pune is under an “orange” category weather alert for Thursday, indicating chances of heavy to very heavy rain at isolated locations.

Pune is not the only city in Maharashtra that was pummelled by rain on Thursday. The state’s coastal districts of Palghar, Raigad and Thane were also inundated, after which holidays were declared for all educational institutes there.

In the Thane district, two persons were feared dead after they entered the Barvi dam, PTI quoted an unidentified official as saying.

The official said that the two men, identified as Ganesh Chindu Kene from Dongar Nhave and Dyaneshwar Budhaji Gondhali from Shastri Nagar, may have been swept away.

A search operation is underway at the site, he said, adding that it remained unknown how they entered the dam amid heavy rainfall.

The India Meteorological Department has issued a “heavy to very heavy rainfall warning” for the Konkan coast till Friday. A red category weather alert has been issued for Thane, Raigad and Palghar districts, indicating chances of very heavy rain.

Sunil Kamble, director of the weather agency’s Regional Meteorological Centre in Mumbai, told PTI on Thursday morning: “Monsoon is very active over Maharashtra. Yesterday, we gave red alert for Pune, and we have noticed 114mm of rain in the city as well as we have seen in ghat areas more 200mm rain has already been recorded. In Mumbai, we have recorded more than 65mm of rainfall in and around Mumbai since yesterday.

“Holidays have been declared in Palghar, Raigad and Thane due to heavy rains,” Maharashtra education minister Deepak Kesarkar told ANI. “Based on the weather forecast, Mumbai Commissioner will decide on whether or not a holiday needs to be declared for tomorrow.”

The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Examination has announced re-examination dates for Class 10 and Class 12 students who missed their board exams on Thursday owing to inclement weather, reported The Times of India.

In Mumbai, the municipal corporation asked residents to avoid venturing outdoors unless urgent. The civic body declared a holiday for all schools and colleges operating in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s area amid heavy rainfall.

According to the corporation’s data, Mumbai received 157 mm of rain in Andheri in the nine hours between 4 am and 1 pm on Thursday, the highest in this period.

This was followed by 155mm in Powai, 154mm in Dindoshi, 152mm in Ghatkopar, 151mm in Santacruz, 148mm in Charkop, 143mm in Vikhroli and 139mm in Bandra-Kurla Complex.

“The reservoirs supplying water to Mumbai are experiencing heavy rains, resulting in a steady increase in water storage,” the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said in a post on X.

Water had accumulated on the railway tracks at Kurla and Ghatkopar on the city’s Central Railway, Shinde told ANI.

“Work is being done to open the Andheri subway, which is closed right now,” the chief minister also said. “I appeal to Mumbaikars not to venture outside, if not required. I have also spoken to Raigad Collector and directed him to remain alert.”

Mumbai has been placed under a “yellow” category weather alert for Thursday, indicating chances of moderately heavy rain at isolated locations.

Flight operations were also delayed at the Mumbai airport.

“Heavy rains in Mumbai are affecting flight operations and resulting in cancellation and diversion of some of our flights,” the airline Air India said in a post on X. “Air India is offering full refunds or a one-time complimentary rescheduling for bookings confirmed for travel on 25th July 2024.”

Indigo Airlines also issued a travel advisory for flights to and from Mumbai. “Continuous and heavy rains over Mumbai are causing periodic delays in flight schedules,” it said.

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