Mumbai, July 7 (IANS) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said that although there was heavy rainfall in Mumbai and Western Maharashtra at the beginning of July, rainfall across various parts of the state so far has been below average.

He said rainfall is particularly low in Khandesh (Dhule and Nandurbar), Central Maharashtra (Ahilyanagar and Solapur), parts of Western Vidarbha, and some areas of Marathwada.

He stated that a significant decrease in rainfall is expected in most parts of the state from July 8, and this situation is likely to persist for at least the next 10 days.

During this period, rainfall is expected to be below average in various parts of the state. Additionally, an increase in maximum temperatures across the state cannot be ruled out.

According to preliminary forecasts from the India Meteorological Department, rainfall in the second fortnight of July may be significantly lower than in the first fortnight. Farmers should plan their agricultural activities in accordance with this weather situation.

The state’s Agriculture Department has appealed to farmers in areas where satisfactory rainfall has not yet occurred not to rush into sowing until sufficient moisture is created in the soil, he said.

Meanwhile, relentless torrential to extremely heavy rainfall in the Western Ghats and the Koyna catchment area has severely disrupted daily life across the entire ghat region and along the banks of the Krishna and Koyna rivers. Consequently, water inflows into the Koyna Dam are rising at an unprecedented pace.

In the last 24 hours alone, the dam received a massive inflow of 8.03 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic Feet) of new water at a rate of 93,020 cusecs, pushing the total storage to 33.92%. As anticipated, the water stock in Koyna has now crossed the one-third mark, government sources said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘Red Alert’ for Satara district, warning of severe weather. Meanwhile, Mahabaleshwar recorded a staggering 400 mm (15.75 inches) of rainfall within a 24-hour period.

Although the water stock at the beginning of this July is lower than last year’s, the current rate of water inflow is more than triple that of last year. For context, on July 7, 2025, at 8:00 AM, the dam held 68.38 TMC (64.97%) of water with an inflow of 23,874 cusecs.

In contrast, as of 8:00 AM today, July 7, 2026, the total live stock stands at 35.70 TMC (33.92%), with the usable water content at 30.58 TMC.

Due to the delayed onset of the monsoon this year, the current water level is at 2,086 feet 9 inches, compared to last year’s 2,128 feet 1 inch. However, given the current torrential inflows, this deficit is being bridged rapidly.

The fury of the monsoon has caused widespread disruption. An iron bridge near Venna Lake in Mahabaleshwar has collapsed, and a major landslide in the Kelghar Ghat has cut off connectivity to several villages. Incidents of uprooted trees have been reported along the Karad–Patan and Karad–Chiplun routes.

Furthermore, floodwaters have entered the commercial complexes in front of the new Patan bus stand, as well as several tribal hamlets (padas) in the Wai and Jambhli areas.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, the district administration has declared a holiday for schools in five talukas. For disaster management and rescue operations, a special 28-member National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team has been deployed in the Karad–Patan region.

The chief minister and the Guardian Minister have strictly directed the local administration to immediately conduct damage assessments (panchnamas) and expedite relief measures.

–IANS

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