Thane: Raita Bridge Flooded by Ulhas River, Traffic Resumes as Water Recedes

Thane: A bridge near Raita village on the Kalyan-Ahmednagar highway went underwater on Wednesday afternoon due to the flooding of the Ulhas River. As a result, all traffic on this highway towards Murbad Nagar was stopped. However, as the water on Raita Bridge started receding from Thursday morning, traffic on this highway was reopened.

Parts of bridge have broken due to extra load

An officer from the Public Works Department said, "The flow of water was rapid due to the flood. The branches of trees, which were washed away by the floodwater, stuck to the walls of the bridge. Some parts of the bridge have broken due to the extra load. In order not to obstruct traffic, we started removing the tree branches from the bridge with the help of JCB from Thursday morning."

With Raita Bridge closed for traffic, many motorists preferred to take the Shahapur, Surgaon, Nashik route, Ahmednagar, and Junnar areas. Vehicles carrying goods and vegetables were stuck in this dilemma. Commuters expressed satisfaction as Raita Bridge opened for traffic from Thursday morning. Most of the working-class from the Kalyan area travel to Murbad via Raita Bridge. However, Wednesday's heavy rains hampered commuters.

The floodwater in Apti, Chon village area of Kalyan taluka has receded. On Wednesday, these villages were cut off from the rest of the area. Ulhas River has flooded due to heavy rains for two days. As of now, the river water is below the danger level. Jayraj Deshmukh, Tehsildar of Kalyan, said, "The floodwaters are receding now, and as of Thursday morning, there is no flood-like situation in Kalyan taluka. However, with the city surrounded by water, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel have been deployed in the taluka as a security measure."