The heavy rainfall that started to batter Pune around 10:00 PM on Sunday continued on Monday morning, reportedly forcing many schools in Loni-Kalbhor and Hadapsar areas to declare a holiday. Several other parts of Pune have also witnessed snail-paced traffic movement after many roads were submerged due to the heavy downpour.
Meanwhile, in the light of Ujani Dam having reached the danger level, the Pune administration has reportedly issued a warning to residents of villages along the riverbank. The continuous rain in the catchment area of the dams and the discharge from the dams upstream of the Ujani Dam has caused the water levels to increase. Also, a large amount of water is coming from the Sarita Measurement Center in Daund. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had earlier declared a red alert for Pune district and the Ghat Matha area.
The Pune-Solapur highway witnessed waterlogging on Monday morning, media reports said. The highway was closed since 01.30 am due to water flowing on the road, where many vehicles have been stranded. As a result, there has been a huge traffic jam from Naigaon to Yavat, Marathi news reports said. Meanwhile, the rainfall since Sunday night in the Uruli Kanchan area has reportedly caused a large amount of water to enter the roads from the bridge at Naigaon Phata.
Alandi, Wagholi, and Kesanand Phata areas also witnessed traffic congestion as a consequence of water entering the roads, Esakal said on Monday morning. While police personnel have been deployed to try and smooth out the traffic jams, it will take time before some normalcy can be restored in the worst-hit roads in the aforementioned areas, they told the press.
Police officers and employees are working to smooth out traffic, but the rain is making it difficult to smooth out traffic. Senior Police Inspector Shankar Patil of Uruli Kanchan Police Station has said that it will take time to smooth out traffic.
Many parts of Pune’s low-lying areas have accumulated considerable amounts of water in the overnight rains, which has also had a major impact on traffic, the Esakal report said.
The IMD has also issued an ‘orange alert’ for Palghar, Ahilyanagar, and Beed districts, forecasting heavy rains there, while the rest of Maharashtra is expected to receive light showers or remain dry.
