Heavy rains lashed Thane and Palghar, Mumbai's neighbouring districts, on Saturday, leading to water-logging and multiple incidents of tree and wall collapse which disrupted normal life. As many as 19 persons were rescued from floodwaters in Mandovi area of Palghar, officials said.
Thane city recorded 65.79 mm of rainfall between 8.30 am and 1.30 pm, bringing its season's total to 829.84 mm, while Palghar district received 97.70 mm of rain during the same period, taking its seasonal tally to 643.10 mm.
Several low-lying areas in Kalyan, Bhiwandi, Navi Mumbai and Badlapur were inundated.
In Kalwa, two motorists were injured when a tree collapsed on them, while a tree fall damaged a car in Navi Mumbai's Vashi though no one was injured.
Emergency services were mobilised in Vasai to relocate stranded residents from flooded houses.
The Palghar-Boisar road was closed due to flooding on Kolgaon Bridge, and the highway was blocked by an uprooted tree near the Manor Waghoba Ghat section.
Several other roads in the interior, including the Saphale-Tandulwadi road, Gowade-Raipada road and the bridge connecting Shil and Deharje villages, were shut due to water-logging and overflowing rivers.
The river overflowed at Wartha Pada in Sakwar village, trapping 19 persons including 13 members of two local families and factory workers. Personnel of Mandovi Police, Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation Fire Brigade and local residents rescued all of them, officials said.
A security wall behind Durga Hotel in Mumbra's Sanjay Nagar collapsed, said Yasin Tadvi, chief of the disaster management cell of the Thane Municipal Corporation.
Personnel of the Public Works Department, Fire Department and the Mumbra Ward Committee evacuated 10 to 12 nearby houses as a precaution. No injuries were reported, the official said.
Another wall collapse was reported near the Sai Baba temple in Thane's Kopri area, he said.
Thane Mayor Sharmila Pimpalolkar appealed people to stay indoors.
Manoj Pradhan, Thane district president of the NCP (SP), who alongwith party workers helped stranded passengers in the water-logged Vandana Cinema area reach home, claimed that he had been complaining about improper nullah-cleaning for the last six months, but to no avail.