Heavy rains affect life in Konkan and Karnataka, but come with silver lining of over-flowing reservoirs

The past two days saw heavy rain showers in the southern parts of the country. While Mumbai’s issues with the rains were well-documented , the monsoon also wreaked havoc in other parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka.

The weather department put out its first warnings fairly early as it warned of heavy rainfall in Mumbai and the coastal Konkan region in the three days following Sunday. According to predictions, districts in Konkan and Goa would receive heavy rain at isolated places during the 72 hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had said.

It had also cautioned the authorities in South Konkan, including Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, of heavy rainfall on Monday and Tuesday. The IMD had also warned of the likelihood of heavy rainfall at isolated places in North Konkan, consisting of Mumbai region, Palghar and Raigad districts.

Its prediction came true as heavy rains hit Maharashtra on the designated days, with the Konkan region witnessing the heaviest downpour . The intensity of the rains could be gauged from the fact that the region received over 50 percent of its average September rainfall in just the last two days.

The monsoon turned fatal in Palghar, as five people were killed in separate rain-related incidents. The five people drowned in nullahs and rivers in separate incidents, a senior district administration officer said, but did not elaborate. The deceased have been identified as Sandeep Jadhav (42), Rajesh Bhosle (32) Aksah Rai (22), Sandeep Tandel (56) and Rabiulla Aliraja Shah (16), he said, adding Rs four lakh assistance will be provided to their kin.

Meanwhile, in Dahanu at least 50 houses were damaged due to rains and the occupants were shifted to different camps.

The Indian Express reported that there was heavy downpour in Nashik, which led to the submerging of the banks of Godavari river. People who had come to pray for the souls of their ancestors during pitrupaksha had to make their offerings on the streets as the ghats were completely submerged.

Coastal districts of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg, and western Maharashtra districts of Kolhapur and Satara too received heavy rains, reported Deccan Herald . Water levels at the Koyna and Radhanagri dams also rose in the wake of the heavy downpour.

The silver lining in the heavy rains is that they have also fallen in the catchment areas of major river systems of Godavari and Krishna in the South. They have thus filled up a number of reservoirs, particularly in Maharashtra and Karnataka, reported The Hindu Business Line . The water flow in the rivers and the filing up upstream dams has allowed for release of water to the lower riparian states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. This has led to boosted water levels in downstream dams as well.

The Konkan region is expected to remain vulnerable to rains as a rain-driving low-pressure area from the Bay of Bengal has washed over coast and entered interior East India, according to  The Hindu Business Line . On Wednesday evening the weather system had cut through Vidarbha and Marathwada in Maharashtra and could cause further rainfall in the region.

This was noticed by the Met department in its Thursday forecast as it put out a warning which said that heavy rains could fall at isolated places over Konkan, Goa and North Madhya Maharashtra. Further, heavy to very heavy rainfall is predicted at isolated places over Vidarbha, which forms the eastern part of Maaharashtra.

With inputs from agencies