Nashik city cloudburst alert: Schools, colleges shut; private firms asked to allow work from home

Nashik: The city was placed on high alert on Monday after forecasts warned of possible cloudburst-like rainfall in the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar belt on Tuesday, prompting closure of schools and colleges, a work-from-home advisory for private establishments, deployment of emergency teams and restrictions on non-essential movement.Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) commissioner Manisha Khatri said the most critical period is expected between 1 am and 10 am on Tuesday and urged residents to remain indoors unless absolutely necessary.“The administration has taken several precautionary measures considering the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall. People should avoid unnecessary travel and remain indoors unless essential,” Khatri said.NMC has advised private companies to allow employees to work from home wherever possible and directed private coaching classes to remain closed. Building owners with basements have been asked to take measures to prevent water accumulation.Residents in low-lying and flood-prone areas have been advised to shift temporarily to safer locations. Civic teams have also started issuing notices to occupants of dilapidated structures, including in the Kazigadi area, asking them to move to safer places as a precaution.

Mayor Himgauri Aher and Khatri appealed to people to stay indoors, citing the risk of flooding, weakened roads and ongoing Kumbh Mela-related infrastructure works.Disaster management teams have been activated in all 31 municipal wards, while traders have been requested to keep markets closed except for essential services. Fire brigade and disaster management units have been placed on standby.The city’s public transport operator, NMPML, said bus services would be temporarily rescheduled depending on weather and road conditions.

Officials said trips on some routes may be reduced, though additional buses would be deployed wherever required to meet demand and emergency needs.The police have also stepped up preparedness. Police commissioner Sandeep Karnik held a review meeting with senior officers and directed all personnel to remain stationed at their respective police stations from Monday night. Leave for Tuesday has been cancelled and the entire force, including around 2,800 police personnel and traffic staff, has been deployed across the city.The police have advised residents to avoid standing near old buildings, weak trees and electric poles, drive cautiously on waterlogged roads and refrain from spreading unverified messages on social media.“No production target is more important than human life,” said Ashish Nahar, president of the Nashik Industries and Manufacturers Association (NIMA), urging industries to prioritise worker safety and be prepared to suspend operations or allow work from home if conditions worsen.The warning has put Nashik’s industrial sector on alert, with nearly 4,500 units and around 2.5 lakh workers in the Satpur and Ambad industrial estates potentially affected by the expected heavy rainfall.