Bhayandar: Heavy rains marked the return of the annual ritual of deluge in the twin-city. Intense water logging was reported from chronic spots, including Laxmi Baug, Western Park, RNA Broadway, Amisha Park, Vinay Nagar, Mandvi Pada, Munshi Compound, Krishnasthal, Gaurav Sankalp, Hatkesh, Silver Sarita, Mahesh Industrial, GCC Road Kanakia, MIDC and Chene in the Mira Road-Kashimira belt and some residential pockets located in the east and west side of Bhayandar, including Bakery Lane.
Several houses and shops remained inundated in water for several hours even as power supply was disconnected in some localities by the service providers as a precautionary measure.
The worst-hit turned out to be the coastal areas of Uttan, mainly Pali village, as rains battered the twin-city. Fire brigade personnel used rubber rings and boats to rescue around 100 people including 8 workers from an ongoing construction site in Hatkesh area of Kashimira who were stranded in the rain waters.
The disaster management cell received 14 tree-falling cases over the weekend, with firemen working round the clock to clear the uprooted trees.
Rampant reclamation of wet lands and destruction of mangrove belts coupled by the defunct underground drainage system is responsible for the mess,” alleged Congress leader Muzaffar Hussain.
Body found in flood waters
During the rescue ops, the fire brigade personnel recovered the body of an unidentified man floating in the floodwaters in Kashimira. While efforts were on to ascertain the identity, the body was sent for an autopsy to the health centre. A case of accidental death has been registered at the local police station.
Wall collapse: Close shave for hutments
It was a close shave for hundreds of hutment dwellers after the retaining wall built on a hill slope in the Janta Nagar area of Kashimira collapsed owing to heavy rains that has been lashing the region.
The collapse was reported late on Saturday night. Fortunately, no casualties were reported. As a precautionary measure evacuated hutments.
By Suresh Golani
