Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde says 'administration on high alert' amid heavy downpour

As Mumbai witnessed heavy downpour for the last three days, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, on Wednesday, informed that immediate action will be initiated in a situation whenever needed. CM Shinde also said that authorities have been directed to take precautionary measures to prevent loss of life and property. 

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that Mumbai is likely to witness another wet day, with moderate to heavy rain in the city and suburbs, with a possibility of extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in the next 24 hours. 

While briefing the press, CM Shinde stated, "For two to three days, heavy rainfall was witnessed in the state. A red alert has been issued in many districts. Immediate action will be initiated in a situation whenever needed. I have directed authorities to take precautionary measures to prevent property loss or life loss."

'Administration on high alert': CM Eknath Shinde

"I have directed state administration officials in a meeting today, to take necessary precautions and ensure there was no loss of life or damage to property. It does not matter what it takes, but there should not be a single pothole in the state, such directions have been given to the administration. The administration is on high alert and is monitoring the situation to avoid any incident," the Maharashtra CM asserted. 

It is important to understand that the MeT department issues four colour-coded predictions based on the prevailing weather systems. The green colour indicates no warning, yellow is to keep a watch, orange is to stay alert, while red means a warning and that action needs to be taken.

Earlier in the day, the IMD issued a heavy rainfall alert for Maharashtra, as Mumbai continued to witness heavy rainfall for three consecutive days, leading to a landslide near a chawl, water-logging at many places and traffic disruptions. Three persons were injured in the landslide, an official said, as Mumbaikars continued to face hardship due to flooding on roads.

A citizen, in a tweet highlighting the situation, quipped sarcastically that they now need a boat to commute, instead of a car. A landslide also occurred on a road leading to the Pratapgad Fort in western Maharashtra's Satara district on Wednesday following heavy rains. There was no report of any casualty and no one was trapped in the debris, the Public Works Department's executive engineer, Sanjay Sonawane, said.

(With inputs from PTI)