Maharashtra: Over 100 Villages Face Landslide Risk In Raigad, Rescue Operations Disrupted Amid Heavy Rainfall

More than 100 villages in Maharashtra's Raigad district face the threat of landslides after a heavy downpour triggered floods in the state. The death toll surpassed the 200-mark on Wednesday, July 28.

Media reports said that the water level rose to as high as 25 feet at some places at Mahad town, completely submerging many single-storey buildings.

The residents said that it was the first time they witnessed such a massive rise in water level. The water level never went beyond 12 feet due to floods in the past, they said.

Rain-Induced Floods

The floods in the Raigad district were a result of massive rainfall in the region. Within a span of 24 hours, Mahabaleshwar, Mahad, and Poladpur witnessed rainfalls of 530 mm, 383mm, and 575 mm, respectively.

The residents and traders of Raigad believed that the newly constructed bridge on the Mumbai-Goa Road is also responsible for the floods as it obstructed the rainwater flow, reported India Today.

Raigad Collector Nidhi Choudhary, in a statement, warned that at least 103 districts were facing the risk of a landslide.

Landslide Warning Needs Urgent Action

Heavy rainfall led to a devastating landslide in Talai village on Thursday, July 29, which blocked roads to the village and hampered the rescue operations. Choudhary said that it was difficult to reach the villagers for help due to the floods as a heavy inflow in the Savitri river cut off the road connection to the village.

Last year the Geological Survey of India had released a list of 225 villages facing landslide threats in the same district. In 2005, the Maharashtra government tabled a scheme to rehabilitate people from landslide-prone areas, but unfortunately, the plan could never materialise.

With over 100 villages at the risk of landslides, a disaster could be knocking on the doors. Prompt action from authorities is needed to avoid another calamity.

Rain Caused Obstruction All Over State, Affected Fast Paced Life of Mumbaikars

The rain-induced floods have so far killed 213 people in the state. In Mumbai, the rain led to the death of at least 20 people through different incidents, NDTV reported.

Last week's heavy rainfall clogged the fast-paced city life of Mumbai after roads were filled with water. "This is the story of Mumbai in every monsoon. The drainage system is not equipped to deal with heavy rainfall as a few hours of downpouring leads to road blockage and traffic jams," Rishabh Agrahari, a Mumbai resident, told The Logical Indian.

He added that though city life came to a halt, the most severely affected areas were the hilly regions in the state that are prone to landslides and floods.

"I came to Mumbai on 14th July and was treated by the unwelcoming heavy rainfall," said Saksham Rajput, a resident of Malad West. He further added that commuters who travel long distances for work suffer a lot. After a few hours of rain always lead to traffic jams as it becomes an impossible task to travel on the city roads.

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