Downpour in Thane claims 1 life, holiday for educational institutions in Palghar
Thane: One person was electrocuted as heavy rains battered Thane district on Saturday, disrupting normal life due to water-logging and flooding in some parts, officials said.
Another person suffered serious injuries after the roof of a bakery in Mumbra caved in, officials said.
Incessant downpour continued in neighbouring Palghar district as well, prompting the authorities to declare a holiday for educational institutions on Saturday and also issue an advisory asking people to stay indoors.
Due to the heavy rainfall overnight in Thane, roads, nullahs and even housing societies were flooded. The gushing water swept away vehicles in some areas, officials said.
The low-lying areas in the city were affected the most as several housing complexes in such areas were flooded.
Schools in Thane declared a holiday due to heavy rains. Buses and autos were not plying on the roads due to flooding, which incovenienced the commuters, the officials said.
"Eighteen-year-old Santosh Gole, a resident of Dharmaveer Nagar in Thane, was electrocuted when he tried to remove the plug of the refrigerator at his house," chief of the Regional Disaster Management Cell (RDMC) of Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) Santosh Kadam said.
He was taken to Thane Civil hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead, he said.
In another incident, one person was suffered serious injuries after the roof of a bakery located near Mumbra police station in Zainy Colony, caved in, officials said, adding that he was admitted to a private hospital.
In Palghar district, several villages were marooned as the roads connecting them were flooded. Some of the important roads in the district have been shut for traffic due to flooding, officials said.
The gates of the Surya dam were opened releasing the excess water, officials said. Palghar District Collector Kailas Shinde said the weather department has forecast heavy rains on Saturday and Sunday.
"Considering the heavy rainfall warning, people are advised to remain indoors and get out of the house only if it is absolutely necessary. People should not go near the flooded roads, bridges, river," he said.
He said a holiday has been declared for all the educational institutions in the district.
In case of any emergency the citizens are requested to get in touch with the disaster control room at the district headquarters, Shinde said.
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K'taka bypolls: 11.87 percent voter turnout in Bagalkot, 9.01 percent in Davanagere South till 9 am
Bengaluru (PTI): In the first two hours since voting began for bypolls to two Bagalkot and Davanagere South assembly constituencies, the voter turnout stood at 11.87 percent and 9.01 percent, respectively, on Thursday.
The voting for the bypolls in two constituencies necessitated by the deaths of senior Congress MLAs H Y Meti and Shamanur Shivashankarappa, began at 7 am, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer said.
While the Congress faces the challenge of retaining both seats, the BJP is aiming to wrest them and deliver a setback to the ruling party, which is currently witnessing an "internal power struggle" over leadership.
A total of over 2.59 lakh eligible voters are expected to cast their votes at around 319 polling stations in Bagalkot, where nine candidates are in the fray.
In Davanagere South, over 2.31 lakh eligible voters are expected to vote across 284 polling stations, with 25 candidates contesting.
Officials said elaborate security arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of bypolls.
The BJP has fielded former MLA and 2023 defeated candidate Veerabhadrayya Charantimath from Bagalkot, and a fresh face, Srinivas T Dasakariyappa, from Davanagere South.
The Congress has given tickets to family members of the late legislators in both constituencies. Bagalkot candidate Umesh Meti is the son of H Y Meti, while Samarth Mallikarjun from Davanagere South is the grandson of Shamanur Shivashankarappa.
Samarth’s father, S S Mallikarjun, is a minister in the Siddaramaiah-led Cabinet and in charge of Davanagere district, while his mother, Prabha Mallikarjun, is a Member of Parliament from the region.
In the 2023 Assembly elections, H Y Meti defeated BJP’s Charantimath by a margin of 5,878 votes in Bagalkot, while Shivashankarappa defeated BJP’s B G Ajay Kumar by 27,888 votes in Davanagere South.
