Will airlift people if need arises, says CM Shinde as heavy rains batter Pune

MUMBAI — Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday said if the need arises, the rain-hit people will be airlifted in Pune, where incessant downpour has claimed four lives and inundated residential colonies and houses in low-lying areas.

Shinde said he has spoken to the Pune district collector and civic body chiefs in the city and its neighbouring Pimpri Chinchwad, an industrial township.

He has also spoken to officials of the Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to seek their help in the evacuation.

“If the need arises, we have told them to airlift people. There is no need to worry,” the chief minister said.

He said he has directed the administration to stay on alert mode and make necessary arrangements and ensure there is no loss of life.

Shinde said he was keeping an eye on the situation and has spoken to Deputy Chief Minister and Pune Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar, who is also monitoring the situation from the control room in the Mantralaya, the state secretariat in Mumbai.

Three men died in Pune city early on Thursday while they were trying to move their handcart, submerged in water in Deccan area, to a safer place, while one person died in a landslide in Tamhini ghat section in Mulshi tehsil, officials said.

Several low-lying areas in the city got inundated due to the rainwater and the local authorities have launched operations to evacuate the stranded people.

Nearly 400 evacuated as rains lash Pune

About 400 people were evacuated to safety on Thursday following flooding in Sinhagad Road and some other areas along the riverbank in Pune city due to incessant rains, officials said.

Two columns of the Army were deployed in Sinhagad Road area which was severely affected by flooding, they said.

Besides, teams of the NDRF, fire brigade as well as the district and city disaster management cells were pressed into service to carry out relief operations.

Water entered several housing societies and houses in low-lying areas along the Sinhagad Road. Cars and two-wheelers stood in water.

“So far 400 people from Sinhagad Road area have been shifted to safety,” said Suhas Divsae, district collector.

Army personnel were helping with relief operations in Ekta Nagar in Sinhagad Road area, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the Pune district for another 48 hours, and as heavy rains are expected to continue later in the day in the catchment areas of Khadakwasla and other upstream dams, more water was likely to be released from Khadakwasla reservoir (increasing the water level in the Mutha river that flows through the city), the collector said.

Tourist places such as waterfalls and lakes in Pune district have been closed to tourists.

There were, however, no reports of any village in the district getting cut off due to the rains, Divase said.

Besides schools, private establishments and offices in affected areas have been asked to give a holiday to their employees, he said.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar visited the PMC’s disaster management cell to take stock of the situation.