Cloudburst-like rain batters Ghatnandra; Rivers overflow, crops damaged

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Cloudburst-like rain lashed Ghatnandra, Sillod tehsil and nearby villages Dharla, Charner, Pendgaon, Charnerwadi, and Dhawda between 3 am and 6 am on Monday, throwing life out of gear.

Roads turned into rivers, and floodwater entered farms, damaging maize, cotton, soybean, and ginger crops. The Charner bridge on the Ghatnandra- Sillod road remained submerged for hours, cutting connectivity. Farmers reported heavy losses and demanded compensation. The Charner irrigation project overflowed after the downpour, with water even gushing over the embankment. Panic gripped villages downstream Pendgaon, Deulgaon Bazar, Savkheda, Deulgaon Wadi, and Kotnandra amid fears of a dam breach. Villagers blamed recent leveling work for lowering the embankment height. The Charna River swelled dangerously, submerging the Ghatnandra–Shelgaon bridge. By evening, floodwaters receded, easing the threat. With continuous rains in recent days and Monday’s cloudburst, the Charner dam reached full capacity for the third time in history, after 2020 and 2023. However, this time, water flowed over the embankment, sparking panic in surrounding villages. The flood threat eased by evening as water receded, bringing relief to residents. Officials, including SDO Latif Pathan, Tehsildar Satish Soni, Circle Officer Vishnu Sonawane, and Agriculture Officer Sandeep Jagtap, inspected the dam and advised riverside residents to stay alert. Villagers demanded strict action against those who tampered with the embankment.