While rescue operations have largely concluded, thousands are struggling without electricity, drinking water and other necessities. With further heavy rain forecast, residents face the daunting task of rebuilding their lives even as authorities warn them to remain on alert.
Returning home
For the past three days, many families have been without electricity, drinking water and other essential services. Even on Friday, power supply remained disrupted in several areas, adding to their hardship. Frustrated residents questioned the prolonged outage, asking what the point was of paying hefty electricity bills if the system collapses when it is needed most.
“We spent three days watching the floodwater surround our house, helplessly praying that it would stop rising. Now that the water has gone, we have returned to find every room buried under thick mud. Our clothes, schoolbooks, furniture, groceries and important documents are all destroyed. We don’t even know where to begin. We have no electricity, no clean drinking water and no money to replace what we have lost. It feels like we are starting our lives from zero again,” said Seema Bhoyar, a resident of flood-hit Kirat village.
The worst-hit areas include Manor, Vikramgad, Wada, Jawhar, Mokhada and several villages along the Surya River, where incessant rainfall caused rivers and streams to overflow, flooding homes, roads and farmlands. The situation worsened after water was released from the Kurje and Dhamani dams, leading to a sharp rise in the Surya River and prompting authorities to issue alerts to villages along its banks.
Rescue operation
In Kirat village, floodwaters stranded 25 residents, many of whom were forced to take shelter on the rooftops of their homes. Following orders from Palghar Tehsildar Ramesh Shedge, an overnight rescue operation was carried out by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Manor police and local villagers using speedboats. Manor Police Inspector Vijay Mutduk personally participated in the operation, and all 25 residents were rescued.
For those returning home, however, the ordeal is far from over. Houses remain coated in thick sludge, household belongings have been destroyed, and contaminated water has heightened fears of disease outbreaks. Residents spent Friday removing mud from their homes, drying whatever belongings could be salvaged and assessing the extent of the damage.
“The flood has taken away everything we worked for over the years. Our mattresses, utensils, food grains, electrical appliances and children’s belongings are covered in mud or washed away. The smell inside the house is unbearable, and we cannot even stay here. There has been no electricity for three days, and we don’t know when it will return. Every month we pay our electricity bills on time, but when disaster strikes, we are left to fend for ourselves. We are exhausted, heartbroken and don’t know how we will rebuild our home,” said another resident, Jaganath Patil.
Transport hit
The heavy rains also severely affected transport. Several trains on Western Railway’s Mumbai-Gujarat route were cancelled or rescheduled after tracks were submerged at multiple locations. Railway authorities advised passengers to check the latest train status before travelling, while stranded passengers at Navsari railway station were provided drinking water, tea and biscuits with the assistance of the Navsari Chamber of Commerce.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast more heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours in Palghar, Thane and parts of north Konkan. Authorities have urged residents living near rivers and in low-lying areas to remain vigilant, avoid unnecessary travel and follow official advisories as the district continues to recover from one of the season’s worst spells of flooding.
