Heavy rains lash Thane and Palghar; landslide at Malshej Ghat, tree falls reported

Heavy rains lashed Maharashtra’s Thane and Palghar districts, triggering a minor landslide at Malshej Ghat. While emergency teams swiftly cleared the debris to keep traffic moving, the downpour caused dozens of tree falls and damaged vehicles in Thane

Thane: Heavy rains lashed Maharashtra’s Thane and Palghar districts over the last 24 hours, triggering a landslide at the scenic Malshej Ghat and leading to dozens of complaints of tree falls, officials said on Wednesday.

A minor landslide was reported on Tuesday evening along the vital Malshej Ghat stretch, which connects Thane and Pune districts, Thane’s Resident Deputy Collector Sandeep Mane said.

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The incident occurred between the “wash point” and “umbrella point” at the ghat between 6 pm and 7 pm on Tuesday, according to district disaster management authorities.

Earth-excavating machines were immediately deployed at the spot. Debris was cleared swiftly, and traffic movement along the ghat section remained smooth without any casualties, Mane said.

As many as 27 complaints were received over the last 24 hours in Thane, including 18 of tree or branches falling and four fire-related calls, regional disaster management cell (RDMC) chief Yasin Tadvi said.

A large tree collapsed on two cars parked on a roadside in the Charai area of Thane city on Wednesday morning, damaging the two vehicles.

Local disaster cell staff and fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot. The work to cut and remove the debris was underway. No one was injured in the incident, Tadvi said.

Thane city recorded 77.97 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Wednesday, taking the season’s total to 81.26 mm. Last year, it recorded 755.63 mm of rainfall for the same period, as per the RDMC.

The Bhatsa Dam in Shahapur taluka, a major source of water for the region, recorded 20 mm of rain in the last 24 hours. The dam’s water level currently stands at 108.79 metres, with the useful water storage recorded at 29.22 per cent of its total capacity. No sewage or water discharge has been initiated from the dam yet, officials said.