Heavy rains lash parts of Nashik district amid 'cloudburst' warning

Nashik, July 7 (PTI) Amid a cloudburst warning, some parts of Nashik district witnessed heavy rainfall on Tuesday, sending the Godavari river in spate, officials said. The situation is under control so far, and no major rain-related incident has occurred, they said. Nashik, Trimbakeshwar, Igatpuri, and Surgana talukas received intense spells, but nowhere was there cloudburst-like rain. Moderate rainfall was recorded in other parts of the north Maharashtra district. Meanwhile, the district administration has closed Bhabadbari ghat in Deola taluka to traffic amid the warning of possible landslides. A team of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has been deployed in Igatpuri. District officials said the vortex that caused about 450 mm rainfall in Palghar district on Monday and was expected to cross the Trimbakeshwar-Nashik belt seems to have shifted northwards towards Surat and southwards towards Akole in Ahilyanagar. "There are heavy rains in the ghat region of Nashik, but the overall situation is under control. However, the possibility of a cloudburst-like event cannot be ruled out completely. The vortex has moved southwards towards Akole, and there is a possibility of its movement towards Peth, Surgana and Baglan," they said. District Collector Ayush Prasad visited some villages in Igatpuri taluka to assess the situation, a day after Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan travelled to Igatpuri and Trimbakeshwar talukas. In some rain-related incidents, the kachcha road from Prayag Tirth to Talwade remains submerged. A temporary bridge on Pahine Bhilmal Road in Trimbakeshwar taluka has washed away, and traffic has been diverted. Due to incessant rains in the district, water discharge from Nandur-Madhmeshwar weir is happening at 7,924 cusecs as of 1 pm on Tuesday. The district administration has asked people living on the riverbanks to move to safer places. PTI COR NSK