Palghar, Jan 8 (IANS): Heavy water leakage has been detected from the Mahim-Kelve dam in Palghar district, causing danger to a few villages situated downstream, officials said here on Saturday.

As a precaution, the district administration has started evacuating the local villagers and deployed teams of NDRF and SDRF to tackle any eventuality in case the dam bursts.

The Disaster Management Unit under-secretary K. Suryakrishnamurty has requested for another NDRF team from Pune.

The Mahim-Kelve dam is located around 100 km from Mumbai, at an elevation near the Janjaroli village. Other villages below the dam have been put on high alert.

The Palghar Irrigation Department executive engineer has ordered round-the-clock monitoring of the dam condition and directed for all necessary measures for the safety of the villagers falling in its path and also shift them to safer locations.

The small dam stores water from monsoon rains, and is a popular picnic spot for people from Mumbai, Pune and south Gujarat, with the surrounding forests a favourite with bird-watchers for the large number of species seen here.