Vasai: Life in flood-hit Vasai-Virar began returning to normal on Thursday, five days after torrential rain brought the city to a standstill. Power supply, which had remained disrupted in several parts of Vasai-Virar, was restored in most areas on Thursday, according to the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL).Civic officials said six people lost their lives in rain-related drowning incidents during the flooding. On Thursday, the body of an unidentified woman, believed to have been swept away by floodwaters, was found along the Suruchi Baug coastline in Vasai.The city received over 1,400 mm of rainfall in seven days, triggering widespread flooding that left residents stranded in their homes. Ground floors of several residential buildings were inundated, while shops and commercial establishments suffered heavy losses after flood water entered their premises.While floodwaters have largely receded, several parts of the city remain covered in slush and debris. The Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) has deployed pumps at 58 locations to drain out stagnant water. Waterlogging persists in a few low-lying pockets, where pumping operations are continuing.Surendra Thakare, executive engineer (water supply), said the civic body installed 58 pumps across the city to remove stagnant water from affected areas.The flooding also damaged hundreds of parked vehicles after water entered residential complexes and parking lots. Garages across the city reported a surge in repair work. A garage owner said more than 200 flood-damaged vehicles from Madhuban, Evershine and Vasant Nagri in Vasai (East) had been brought in for repairs.In Virar (East)’s Kargil Nagar, waist-deep water inundated several tenements, damaging household appliances and other belongings. “Our television, refrigerator and even our children’s study material were destroyed in the floods,” said resident Deepak Sitam.Residents of the locality were shifted to safer places by the civic administration during the peak of the flooding. Residents of several localities in Nalasopara (West), including Chheda Nagar, Hanuman Nagar, Panchal Nagar, Ami Park, Chakradhar Nagar and the bus depot area, remained without electricity after the neighbourhoods were submerged under waist-deep water.“Power supply was disconnected around noon on Saturday and was restored only around noon on Thursday. We had to manage without electricity for nearly 120 hours,’’ a resident of Cheda Nagar said.The MSEDCL has over 10.5 lakh consumers in Vasai-Virar. Heavy rain, which began on Saturday, caused extensive damage to the power distribution network, disrupting supply across large parts of the city. A total of 91 electricity poles were damaged, while 62 transformers developed faults. The Suncity substation and several distribution panel (DP) boxes were inundated, affecting restoration work.Several localities in Nalasopara (West) received electricity only after nearly 120 hours, while MSEDCL estimated losses of over Rs 1 crore due to widespread damage to its infrastructure.The Ro-Ro ferry service, which had remained suspended due to the heavy rain, resumed operations on Thursday. The municipal transport undertaking also restored bus services in phases as road conditions.The civic body said it responded to 208 incidents of tree falls, 10 fire incidents and three wall collapses during the heavy rain. Teams from the VVMC fire brigade and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescued 738 people from flooded areas. The administration also said 11 pregnant women were safely assisted in delivering babies during the emergency. As part of post-flood measures, the civic body has started distributing medicines and undertaking preventive measures to curb the spread of water-borne.
