Incessant rains continued to lash Nasik and other parts of the district, disrupting routine life and prompting the irrigation department to open all the nine-doors of Gangapur dam to release thousands of cusecs of water, leading to flooding of Godavari river, according to official sources in Nasik on Tuesday.

More than 25 villages in Niphad taluk of the district were submerged and the district administration has shifted nearly 3,000 people to safer places.

Nasik Collector S Chokkalingam on Tuesday urged people, living on river banks, to move to safer places.

The Nasik-Aurangabad state highway had been closed for vehicular traffic since Sunday as there is four feet of water on the bridge and the traffic was diverted through other routes, sources said.

Rivers Darna, Waldevi, Nasardi, Mosam, Kadva are also flooded while many kharif crops were damaged, sources said.

Saykheda and Chandori villages in the district were also badly affected as administration has shifted around 1,500 people to safer places.

Maharashtra PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal reviewed the flood situation on Monday evening.

Seven bridges out of 12 on river Godavari were submerged in flood water, disrupting vehicular traffic.