Heavy rains in Pune district in the past 36 hours have claimed two lives even as the situation in the flood-affected areas was improving on Thursday.

The two people in Pune district died after they were washed away in the swirling waters in Khed tehsil, Resident Deputy Collector Suhas Divse told PTI.

Khed Tehsildar Vijaya Pangarkar said one of the victims, whose body has been recovered, hailed from Kadu village in the taluka and has been identified to be Sopan Babban Kulgara.

The situation has begun to improve in Khed, which was thrown into disarray following heavy rains in the past two days, he said.

• Terrible Tuesday: Mumbai copes with a calamity

The resident deputy collector said all those areas in and around Pune, which were water-logged due to rains -- Pimpri-Chinchwad, Ambegoan, Alandi, Yerawada, Patil Estate -- are showing signs of improvement despite intermittent rains.

Meanwhile, most of the 35 major dams (24 in Bhima basin and 11 in Krishna basin) are over 80% full, Irrigation Department sources said adding, Ujani dam has reached its 84% capacity, Pavana 89%, Mulshi 89%, Chaskaman 80% and Khadakvasla 99%.

About 20,000 cusecs of water is being released from Khadakvasla dam on Thursday, they said adding, the heaviest rainfall in the past 24 hours until 8 am on Thursday was recorded in the catchment areas of Chaskaman dam (173 mm).

According to a report from Kolhapur, the national highway 4 is still blocked due to flood waters, but the overall situation is improving, District Superitendent of Police Sukhavinder Singh told PTI. "We have deployed rescue forces at sensitive places," he added.

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