During his tour of the district, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said as a precautionary measure, Army teams have been deployed at Ekta Nagar in Sinhagad Road, while NDRF personnel are also in the area

He also said rescue operations are underway at the site of a landslide in Lavasa in which some bungalows have been affected and three persons are feared trapped

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a `red alert` for Pune district and asked people to take precautions. Schools and colleges in most parts of the district have declared a holiday in view of the heavy rainfall warning, officials said

Pune city and other parts of the district, including Velha, Mulshi, Bhor talukas and the catchments areas of several dams, including Khadakwasla, have been witnessing incessant rains since Wednesday night

In the city, housing societies in the low-lying areas, such as Sinhagad Road, Bavdhan, Baner and Deccan Gymkhana, witnessed flooding and inundation and efforts have been launched by the fire brigade and disaster management cell of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to evacuate the stranded people, the officials said

"Currently there is no flooding in Sinhagad Road and all those who needed to be shifted to safety have been moved. Arrangements have been made for meals, clothes and other relief materials for those who have been evacuated," Pawar said

Queried about residents of Sinhagad Road complaining about not being informed about water being released from Khadakwasla Dam, he said the process started early Thursday morning

The water release and heavy rains aggravated the situation but deployment of relief mechanisms was done in advance and people were taken to safety, Pawar asserted

Pune district collector Suhas Diwase said that in the wake of heavy rains in the Khadakwasla dam`s catchment area, water has been released from the reservoir