Relentless monsoon showers in Maharashtra have brought the Ulhas River close to the brink of a flood warning area and flood alerts in the Thane district of Maharashtra are on the rise, particularly in the city of Badlapur and rural areas of Kalyan. The situation has been aggravated by intense rainfall over the past few days in the Western Ghats with catchment areas such as Karjat, Matheran, Ahupe, Bhimashankar, Lonavala and Khandala under the rains. The runoff from these areas has caused a rapid rise in the Ulhas River, and continuous rainfall in Badlapur and Ambernath has worsened waterlogging.
Ulhas River Inches Towards Danger Level
The Ulhas River had crossed the official danger mark of **17.50 metres** on Monday before sinking to about **12 metres** on Tuesday.
But the overnight rain reversed the improvement. By **8 am on Wednesday** the river level had climbed sharply to **17 metres**, approaching the warning level of **16.50 metres** and dangerously close to the danger mark again.
The fluctuating water levels have increased concerns of flooding in low-lying residential areas and villages along the riverbanks.
Badlapur and Kalyan on High Alert
The district administration has identified several vulnerable areas that could be inundated if heavy rainfall continues. The most at-risk areas are low-lying residential colonies and commercial areas in Badlapur and villages around Jambhulpada in rural Kalyan, where seasonal flooding is common during the monsoon.
As a precautionary measure, authorities evacuated **more than 250 residents** from chawls in Badlapur. But officials said the evacuation was carried out before floodwater entered residential areas for the safety of the public.
Emergency Response Activated
As the flood threat increases, the state revenue department, local police, disaster management teams, and municipal authorities are on high alert. Public announcements have been issued in riverside villages, advising residents to stay indoors, avoid unnecessary travel and shift to safer locations if needed.
Rescue boats, temporary shelters and emergency response teams have been kept on standby to respond quickly to any situation that the river crosses the danger level and flooding increases.
Train Services Disrupted
The rising water level has also affected rail connectivity in the Mumbai metropolitan region.
The train operations of the Central Railway network between **Neral and Karjat** were temporarily suspended on Wednesday morning after floodwater swamped railway tracks.
According to Central Railway officials, services remained suspended between **10:40 am and 11:32 am** as the Ulhas River continued to flow above the danger level.
Rail traffic was also affected between **Neral and Shelu**, where heavy rain washed away protective track ballast, and engineering teams had to perform emergency restoration work.
Although railway staff are at work to restore normal operations, they have been warned that there will be delays to the railway service as safety inspections take place.
More Rain Forecast
As the monsoon continues to linger over Maharashtra, authorities are monitoring river levels and weather conditions closely. Residents living near riverbanks and in flood-prone areas have been asked to be on high alert and prepare for possible evacuations if rainfall continues in the next few days.
