The Palghar district administration had to seek the help of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Sunday, after unrelenting rains left hundreds of people stranded across the district.
According to the district authorities around 350 people were rescued in Vasai taluka alone by the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) fire brigade and NDRF, with the district police.
The fire brigade rescued around 150 people from their flooded homes in Bhoidapada village in Vasai (East). A fire truck and eight firemen were sent to the village on Saturday night. “We had to sail in small boats to reach the chawl. We rescued about 50-60 people by 11 p.m., and continued the work at 6 a.m. on Sunday to bring out about 100 more people,” an official said.
Vasai tehsildar Umaji Helkar said those stranded included children and senior citizens as well. “They have been accommodated in the Bhoidapada ashram,” he said.
Mr. Helkar said even before the Bhoidapada operation was over, they received a call from Mori village. “We had to seek the help of NDRF as people were stranded at multiple places,” he said.
Fire officer Jayesh Chiplunkar said, “A 200-plus workforce has been on duty since Friday night. But the number of emergency cases kept increasing and so we reached out to the NDRF, who rescued and moved about 100 villagers from Mori to neighbouring villages.” Another NDRF team rescued about 15 people Bhatane village in Vasai.
Water entered Kalmbhe, Sonale, Barsheti, Kelthan, Gorad, Sapne and Gandhre villages after the Vaitarna, Tansa and Pinjal rivers overflowed. The police rescued 12 people stranded in a cowshed in Gandhre with the help of rubber tubes, and another four stuck in a warehouse in Karalgaon. Eight others were rescued at Manor.
In the evening, the district administration requested the State government for helicopter assistance to rescue 15 people stranded in Buranda village. An Indian Air Force Mi7 helicopter was launched from Santacruz around 5.30 p.m., but returned to base as those stranded could not be found at the coordinates and the weather was poor.
A bridge between Malvada and Wada villages was washed by the waters of the Pinjal river. Authorities ensured police presence on both sides of the bridge to ensure public safety.
A search was on for a man in his 30s who got pulled away by the current at Phoolpada dam on Sunday morning, a fire brigade official said. Local residents said the man was taking a swim in the dam.
Meanwhile, the fire brigade rescued three people from a truck that fell into a nullah at Pelar Phatta near Waliv late on Saturday. According to the police, due to high pressure of water, pulling out the truck was not possible. Police inspector Vilas Chogule from the Waliv police station said, “The road was waterlogged and the driver could not see the nullah.”
Palghar District Collector Kailash Shinde said, “A large number of people who were rescued were living in shanties. The NDRF personal, fire brigade officials and police were working hand in hand to bring the situation under control. Most of the rescue operations have been completed successfully. Rescue teams and police will continue to guard the inundated regions to avoid any mishap.”
