Mumbai, Jul 4 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday urged people in Mumbai Metropolitan region (MMR) and Pune-Nashik belt to strictly follow official weather advisories and avoid unnecessary travel as these areas are likely to receive heavy rainfall accompanied by storms till July 6.
Addressing reporters here, the CM also said genuine deficiencies in newly built infrastructure, including the Connecting Link on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway, would be rectified.
The India Meteorological Department’s Regional Meteorological Centre has forecast very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and rainfall significantly above normal in the affected region till July 6, and the state government is issuing regular weather alerts and sending SMS messages to residents every three hours, besides disseminating advisories through multiple channels, Fadnavis pointed out.
“We have requested people to avoid travel if possible so that accidents caused by heavy rain and storms can be prevented. Citizens should follow official alerts and venture out only in accordance with the advisories. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and state Disaster Management Cell are closely monitoring the situation,” he added.
Responding to criticism on social media over the Connecting Link , Fadnavis said it was “not correct” to claim that the road had developed potholes.
“There are only two potholes,” Fadnavis asserted while ruing that some people tend to amplify every issue without understanding the construction process.
Newly completed roads undergo durability tests during the monsoon and the final layer of work is taken up after the rainy season, and if there are any shortcomings during this process, they are identified and rectified, the CM explained.
“Mastic asphalt laid on new flyovers initially settles before performing as intended. Newly completed infrastructure also requires a settling period,” he said while reiterating that constructive criticism was welcome.
Any genuine deficiencies brought to the government’s notice, including those highlighted on social media, would be examined and rectified, Fadnavis said.
Highlighting the project executed by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), Fadnavis said it includes some of the country’s largest bridges and India’s first tunnel built beneath a dam.
“Such engineering achievements should also be appreciated while ensuring that any shortcomings are addressed,” he added.
The IMD has issued a red alert for Mumbai, warning of extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places during the day. Several parts of the metropolis received more than 100 mm of rainfall during the 24 hours ending at 8 am on Saturday.
As per data made available by civic authorities, Thane city recorded 65.79 mm of rainfall between 8:30am and 1:30pm on Saturday, bringing the seasonal total to 829.84 mm.
Palghar district received 97.70 mm during the same period, taking its seasonal tally to 643.10 mm. PTI MR BNM
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