Schools and colleges have been shut in Maharashtra’s Nashik on Tuesday, July 12, due to heavy rains in the state. Officials said that there were heavy rains over the last few days and people in flood-prone areas were asked to shift to safer places. The city received 97.4 mm rainfall in the 24-hour period till 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday, but the rains later took a break, bringing some respite to residents, they said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a 'red alert' for the north Maharashtra district from July 11 to 14 as a very heavy downpour has been predicted, as stated in a report by PTI. “The decision to keep colleges and schools closed today is taken as a precautionary measure. We are closely monitoring the rain situation,” an official from the district collectorate said.

Officials noted several instances of heavy rain and flooding in the district in the past few days. They said that on Monday, July 11, very heavy rains were witnessed near the Saptashrungi temple in the district wherein six devotees received minor injuries during flooding on the temple steps. Water gushed from over a protection wall on the return route from the temple. Six devotees who were coming down the temple steps were injured. They were initially rushed to the temple trust hospital and later taken to Vani for treatment, temple authorities said.

Additionally, road communication was affected in several villages due to flooding, district administration officials said. Shop owners and residents of some of the flood-prone areas have already been asked to shift to safer places, they added. A team of the State Disaster Response Force has also arrived in Nashik for assistance, they said.

Nashik city has witnessed heavy rains since the last few days, which led to a rise in the level of the Godavari river. But with rains taking a break on Tuesday morning, there was no water discharge of water from the Gangapur dam, which supplies drinking water to the city.