Public Works Minister Shivendrasinhraje Bhosale Inspects Flood-Damaged Roads and Bridges in Palghar District; Directs Expedited Permanent Restoration Measures
by Prashant Kapadia/NHN
Palghar | August 1, 2026 :Following the record-breaking rainfall between July 22 and 24, 2026, Palghar district witnessed extensive damage to public roads, bridges, and transportation infrastructure. With nearly a month’s average rainfall received within a very short period, railway services, road connectivity, telecommunications, and overall transport systems were severely disrupted. In this backdrop, Public Works Minister Shri Shivendrasinhraje Bhosale visited the flood-affected areas of Palghar district to undertake an on-site assessment of the damage.
During the visit, the Minister inspected the Boisar–Chinchani–Dahanu Road, Palghar–Saravali–Boisar Road, Manor–Maschan–Palghar Road, and Palghar–Narpad Road. Due to the unprecedented rainfall, embankments at several locations were washed away, while old pipe culverts and bridges collapsed at certain stretches, resulting in complete disruption of traffic. Some roads remained closed to vehicular movement for more than 24 hours. The Public Works Department has undertaken immediate restoration works, and traffic has been temporarily restored on several affected routes.
Following the site inspection, a comprehensive review meeting was held in Palghar with senior officials of the Public Works Department, the district administration, and other concerned agencies. The Minister directed officials to complete the repair and restoration of damaged roads and bridges on a war footing, restore normal traffic at the earliest, and implement long-term, sustainable measures to minimize the impact of such natural disasters in the future.
Speaking on the occasion, Public Works Minister Shri Shivendrasinhraje Bhosale said, “The pattern of rainfall has changed significantly in recent years. Instead of prolonged rainfall, we are now witnessing extremely heavy rainfall within a short duration, causing extensive damage to roads, bridges, and agriculture. Therefore, it is imperative to develop stronger, more resilient, and climate-resilient infrastructure capable of withstanding future extreme weather events.”
A few days earlier, Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis had convened a meeting in Mumbai with public representatives and senior administrative officials from Palghar district and issued clear directions regarding immediate restoration works and long-term mitigation measures. Accordingly, the Public Works Department has accorded top priority to the execution of these works.
The proposed long-term measures include replacing old pipe culverts with higher-capacity elevated slab bridges, designing structures to ensure uninterrupted natural water flow, constructing protective retaining walls along major streams, and implementing preventive measures at landslide-prone locations.
The Minister further informed that the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) has been entrusted with preparing an independent technical assessment report of the affected areas. Based on the findings of this report, future road and bridge projects will be designed to be safer, more durable, and resilient against natural disasters.
Present on the occasion were MLA Shri Rajendra Gavit, MLA Shri Vilas Tare, Member of Parliament Shri Hemant Savara, Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council Shri Niranjan Davkhare, District Collector Dr. Indu Rani Jakhad, Superintendent of Police Shri Yatish Deshmukh, Chief Executive Officer of Palghar Zilla Parishad Shri Manoj Ranade, Bharatiya Janata Party Palghar District President Shri Bharatsing Rajput, along with the Chief Engineer and senior officials of the Public Works Department.