Maharashtra: Water enters Pimpri-Chinchwad’s Morya Gosavi Ganpati Temple as Pawana River swells

Pimpri-Chinchwad : Following incessant rainfall in various parts of Maharashtra, the water level of the Pawana River has risen significantly, leading to water entering the premises of the Morya Gosavi Ganpati Temple in Pimpri-Chinchwad on Monday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad as intense spells of rain with gusty winds reaching 50-60 kmph are very likely to occur at isolated places. According to rainfall data, several locations in the state have recorded extreme precipitation. Lonavla (Office) witnessed a massive 670 mm of rain in the last 24 hours, while Bhira recorded 609 mm. Other areas experiencing heavy rainfall include Tamini (580 mm), Shirgaon (540 mm), Ambona (537 mm), and Khopoli (516 mm).
Significant rainfall was also noted in Lonavla (495 mm), Davdi (474 mm), Dongerwadi (451 mm), and Walwhan (442 mm), contributing to the rapid rise in water levels of local water bodies and rivers. Meanwhile, following a ‘Red Alert’ issued by the IMD warning of extremely heavy rainfall, the district administration declared a holiday for all schools across Pune district today as a precautionary measure for the safety of students.
In an X post, Pune Municipal Corporation has also appealed to citizens to avoid stepping out of their homes unless absolutely necessary, stay away from rivers, streams, and other dangerous locations, and strictly follow the instructions issued by the local administration from time to time.
The heavy downpour has also triggered landslides in the Mumbai-Pune ghat section on Monday, severely disrupting both rail and road connectivity between the two cities.Several train services were cancelled or diverted after boulders fell on railway tracks, while traffic on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the old Mumbai-Pune Highway was suspended until further notice following a major landslide.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed the situation and said restoration work was underway despite continued heavy rainfall. Road traffic was also severely affected after a major landslide occurred on the Missing Link section of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway near the Khandala exit. The Mumbai-bound lane has been completely closed. According to preliminary information, no casualties have been reported, and efforts are underway to reopen the route.