Power, water supply restored in Vasai

The power and water connections to most of the places in the Vasai-Virar region, Mumbai’s far western suburbs which is home to more than 12 lakh people, were restored.

However, there has been a short supply of vegetables because of the traffic jam at the road which enters Vasai and Nalasopara from the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway.

“Vegetables prices are touching the roof. Since perishable items that were stored in shops are damaged due to the rains, there is a problem of demand and supply. It would take a few days to return to normalcy, at least by this weekend,” said Siddhi Dhamane, a social worker from the Vasai-Virar region.

Meanwhile, local doctors had to see several patients affected by rain-related diseases.

“The first and the most important principle is to boil water and drink,” Dr Rajaneesh Ghadi, a general physician based in Vasai, said.

“In this kind of a situation, we must take care to apply mosquito repellents. As the mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, there is threat of diseases like malaria, dengue and chikungunya,” he said, adding that leptospirosis is another problem area for doctors.

“All underground tanks need to be cleaned as the drain and sewage water would have gone inside them,” he said.

In Vasai-Virar belt of the Palghar district located on the East and West sides of the Western Railway line, most of the schools reopened except for a few like the Holy Family School at Evershine City, where water gushed into the lobby and ground floor.

Meanwhile, water near the Mithaghar salt pans reduced to some extent.

“For two days there was neck deep water,” said Prasad Varagane, a resident of Rajawali village, who crossed the salt pans to come out of the Madhuban area.

The Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation has already started spraying insecticides and larvicides to prevent an outbreak of vector-borne diseases.