Landslide at Vaitarna power plant's main gate hits operations

Operations at the Vaitarna hydro power plant in Igatpuri tehsil of Nashik district were affected following a landslide at its entrance gate on Wednesday morning, police said.

Nobody was injured in the incident, they said.

"The Vaitarna power station is surrounded by hills. On Wednesday morning, rocks and mud came crashing down on the main gate of the power plant. Although nobody was hurt in the incident, power generation was suspended," a police official said.

The landslide wrecked two police chowkies located near the main gate. Some weapons of the police personnel posted there and some motorcycles got buried under the rubble, he said, adding that efforts are on to clear the path.

The power plant is built on Vaitarna dam, which is located around 45 kms from Nashik city.

The region has been experiencing heavy rains since the last few days. According to the weather department, Igatpuri recorded 172 mm rainfall in 24 hours ending 8 am on Wednesday.