Social worker saves the rainy day for Vasai-Virar residents

A completely inundated Evershine Nagar in Vasai. Pic/Hanif Patel

Vasai-Virar residents had a nightmarish Wednesday as heavy rainfall hit the city throwing life out of gear. Travelling to Mumbai for work and returning home was the hardest task ever with the Vasai-Virar train services stalled. But a saviour in the form of social worker Eric Lobo helped them navigate through the waterlogged streets and return home safely.

In the morning, the residents found it difficult to reach the nearest railway stations, as rickshaws and buses stayed off roads. However, people were still seen wading through waist-deep water to reach Virar station. The incessant rain even affected power supply in the region, as the MSEDCL power house sub-station got waterlogged up to a height of 4 feet.

Dinesh Agarwal, district head and superintendent engineer of MSEDCL, said, "As the Vasai powerhouse sub-station is waterlogged, we stopped the services of 15 feeders. This has affected nearly 1.35 lakh consumers in the region. The water level in the control room is alarmingly high. Once it recedes, we will restore the supply in three to four hours."

Meanwhile, in a bid to help the residents return home, Lobo contacted the district administration, tehsildar, collector and civic body to arrange for transportation and chalk out a hassle-free route. "I have been in touch with government departments to help the commuters reach home safely," said Lobo. He added, "After getting updates from local people through WhatsApp groups regarding the water-logging situation, I chalked out a route for bus and private vehicles with the help of the tehsildar and ST transportation department. I also managed to arrange transportation for over 500 people."

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates