Severe rains cause waterlogging in Raigad in Maharashtra

NDRF personnel carry an infant during a rescue operation for people stuck in a flood-hit village in Poladpur, Raigad. Credit: PTI Photo

As apprehended by environmentalists, many areas of Uran and Rasayani in Raigad near Mumbai have been inundated and flood waters have entered homes and a police station amid widespread landfill on wetlands.

Homes in Chirner, Kanthavali and Vindhane, near the satellite township of Navi Mumbai, have been flooded and residents were busy throwing water out, local resident Hitesh Koli said.

The Raigad district collector’s office declared a holiday for schools on Wednesday due to the torrential rains and waterlogging.

Parag Gharat, another resident, said many roads were also flooded, affecting traffic.

Also Read: Local train services on Mumbai suburban section stopped due to water logging on tracks after heavy rains

Social media posts showed a flooded Rasayani police station with policemen standing in knee-deep water.

“These are the dividends that we get for so-called unplanned development,” said NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar.

“We along with other NGOs have been cautioning against landfill on intertidal wetlands and debris dumping on mangroves all across,” Kumar said. Yet, we have hardly seen any official interference to check the mindless reclamation, he said.

“CIDCO is the main culprit,” alleged SEAP head Nandakumar Pawar as the government-owned planning agency leased out over 20,000 hectares of eco-sensitive areas under the guise of infrastructure development.

For instance, Dronagiri node landfill has been flooding other areas in Uran taluka which have become low-lying. The NMSEZ and JNPA have been burying intertidal wetlands at Pagote, Bhendkhai, Jasai and Savarkhar, Pawar pointed out.

“Water is bound to find its way and that’s exactly what is happening now,” Kumar said, alerting the sub-divisional officer Rahul Mudake who said the district administration is keeping a close watch on the flood situation.

On the environmentalists' complaints, the High Court appointed wetland and mangrove committees have directed CIDCO and the district administration to clear debris from wetlands and mangroves and not a single stone has been removed for the past four years, Pawar pointed out.

NatConnect has described this defiance as a clear case of contempt of court as the High Court had ordered protection of the wetlands and mangroves.