Daijiworld Media Network – Solapur

Solapur, Sep 15: A 37-year-old autorickshaw driver, Satish Shinde, was swept away in a flooded nullah at Old Pune Naka in Solapur city around midnight on Saturday amid heavy rains and gusty winds. Despite an intensive search operation that continued through Sunday evening, rescuers were unable to trace him, and the operation was eventually called off.

According to officials, Shinde was returning home when he attempted to cross the Solapur-Pune bridge, where floodwaters surged over the nullah. The strong current carried away both the autorickshaw and its driver. Relatives later located the vehicle, which was removed by disaster management staff, but Shinde remained missing.

“Had there been barricades, the autorickshaw driver would not have taken the route,” a family member said. A State Disaster Rescue Force team scoured the entire stretch on Sunday but found no sign of him.

The State Disaster Management Authority had issued a heavy-rain warning Saturday night as Solapur recorded 48 mm of rainfall. Intermittent showers continued on Sunday. Ujani dam received significant inflows, forcing an increase in discharge from 1,500 to 25,000 cusec and raising the Bhima river level to 437 metres at Pandharpur—close to the 443-metre warning mark and nearing the 445-metre danger level.

In the 24 hours ending 8 am Sunday, Akkalkot received 68 mm of rain, Pandharpur 28 mm, and Barshi 40 mm. The IMD has issued a yellow alert for Kolhapur, Satara, Solapur and Sangli districts through Tuesday, with Satara’s Navaja recording 109 mm and the Koyna dam reaching 103.52 TMC of its 105 TMC capacity, discharging 2,100 cusec.