Moshi: The floodwaters of the Indrayani River forced residents of Moshi to perform the funeral (Dashkriya) ritual on the road leading to the Dashkriya Ghat on Friday (July 26).
The designated funeral site was covered with one to one and a half feet of silt. Municipal employees promptly cleaned the area to make it usable again.
This was the first major flood Moshi faced in 15 years, submerging an old bridge and causing water to reach the new bridge. The flood also submerged the Dashkriya Ghats on the Indrayani river banks.
Due to the flooding, Moshi residents had to perform the Dashkriya ritual on the asphalt road leading to the Ghat. Although the waters have receded, the silt made the area unusable until municipal workers cleaned it.
Local citizens have urged the administration to take steps to prevent future submersion of the crematorium and Dashkriya Ghat. The old bridge was closed to traffic as a precaution after the floodwaters reached it.
The flood also submerged farmland along Moshi, Shivajiwadi, Sastewadi, Dudulgaon, and Charholi, causing significant crop and property damage.
On Firday (July 26), two bridges on Indrayani river, one near the new Municipal Council and other at Chakan Chowk, have been reopened for vehicular traffic. However, the old bridge in front of the municipal council square remained closed due to silt accumulation.
Cleanup efforts by the Alandi Municipal Council's fire department and employees are ongoing, and the bridge will be reopened once the silt is cleared.
Continuous rainfall over the past week has caused the Indrayani River's water level to rise significantly, leading to flooding in Alandi on Thursday (July 25). The floodwaters entered nearby dharamshalas and homes, prompting the closure of all four bridges in the area.