With only a couple of days left in July, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy rainfall in the ghat regions of Pune, Satara, and Kolhapur at the beginning of August.
The IMD has forecasted "heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in ghat areas" of Pune, Satara, and Kolhapur, with the probability being "very likely." Meanwhile, "light to moderate" rains have been predicted in the plains of these three districts.
Last week, heavy rains battered Pune, flooding low-lying areas and leading to evacuations by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams. Ekta Nagar near Sinhgad Road was one of the most severely affected localities. Residents and shop owners in this area have demanded compensation for their losses after water inundated their homes and shops.
Pune MP and Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol claimed that there was a "communication gap" regarding the water discharge. “If there was a red alert for the catchment areas and water was to be released in such large quantities, the civic body and police department should have been informed. Such communication gaps should be avoided in the future, and the concerned departments have been instructed accordingly,” Mohol said.
