BackMaharashtra rains: Mumbai-Bengaluru highway shut for traffic for third day
Around 2,000 Karnataka-bound vehicles, including trucks, were stranded on the national highway
PremiumThe Mumbai-Bengaluru highway continued to be shut for traffic for the third day on Sunday. The highway's stretch near Shiroli village in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra remained submerged even today as heavy rainfall battered the states in past few days.
Kolhapur district police informed news agency PTI that around 2,000 Karnataka-bound vehicles, including trucks, were stranded on the national highway.
The highway has been shut for vehicular traffic since Friday after part of it got submerged due to rising water level as a result of incessant rains in the district.
Kolhapur Superintendent of Police (SP) Shailesh Balkawde said that the stretch near Shiroli continued to be closed for the vehicular movement near Shiroli village as the bridge near there remained inundated.
Balkawde further said that if the water level of the Panchganga river in Kolhapur goes down further, there could be chances of water receding at the stretch. The stretch of this highway in Belgaum district of Karnataka is also under water.
The SP said that arrangement to provide food, water and other necessary things to the stranded people was being done with the help of the social organisations.
PTI reported that the water level of the Panchganga river at Rajaram weir came down to 50.7 feet, although it is still above the danger mark of 43 feet.
Four automatic gates of upstream Radhanagari dam were opened and water was being released at 6,900 cusec rate on Sunday night, the district administration said.
The Indian Army has stepped up its relief and rescue operations in Sangli, Kohlapur, and Ratnagiri districts. The flood-relief columns in coordination with the civil administration evacuated over 80 stranded locals from the flood-affected areas of Bastwad in Kolhapur.
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