Arid Marathwada battles unprecedented rains; 8 dead, villages inundated, houses damaged

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Sep 23 (PTI) The usually dry region of Marathwada in Maharashtra has received unprecedented rains in the last four days, leaving at least eight persons dead, marooning villages, damaging houses and flattening crops on thousands of hectares, officials said on Tuesday.

The state cabinet reviewed the situation at a meeting in Mumbai, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assuring the government was working overtime to provide relief to farmers and other affected people.

He said 766 houses faced partial damages, while five huts were completely destroyed and crops on over 33,010 hectares were damaged in the central region which consists of eight districts.

The NDRF has rescued 27 persons in Dharashiv district, while 200 people have been shifted to safer places, the CM informed.

The administration in Dharashiv has started conducting crop loss survey, an official said.

Incessant rains have been lashing several pockets of Marathwada since September 20, swelling up dams, prompting authorities to discharge water from them.

"Eight persons have died since September 20, including three in Latur, two in Beed and one each in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nanded and Dharashiv due to lightning strikes, drowning and other reasons," a revenue official said.

A road and two schools were damaged in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, while three bridges were damaged in Jalna and Beed. Five small dams were also damaged due to floods in Marathwada.

In Dharashiv, 159 villages were affected and 186 livestock perished, while other districts like Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna and Beed faced a flood-like situation, officials said.

The Dharashiv administration used boats and helicopters to rescue stranded villagers, they said.

As many as 129 revenue circles across Marathwada witnessed heavy downpour in the last 24 hours, they said.

The Opposition demanded immediate relief for people.

NCP (SP) chief and former Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said the government should expedite the process of providing assistance to farmers who have suffered heavy losses.

The Congress demanded that the Mahayuti government declare a wet drought in view of heavy rains and compensate affected farmers with Rs 50,000 per hectare.

State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal appealed to the government to provide immediate relief without wasting time in conducting surveys and damage assessments.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said the Centre must announce an assistance package of Rs 10,000 crore for Marathwada.

Speaking in Mumbai, Fadnavis said the government was working to provide relief to farmers and others who have been affected by floods.

"Rescue operations are ongoing in Beed and Dharashiv. The NDRF has rescued 27 persons in Dharashiv, and 200 people have been shifted to safer places. Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan is at the spot to oversee rescue and relief operations. The administration will seek more helicopters for rescue efforts," the chief minister said.

"Farmers are being given relief as and when panchanamas (damage inspection reports) are completed. Some 31.64 lakh farmers have received aid so far, and Rs 2,215 crore will be disbursed. (Out of this) Rs 1,800 crore has been given to district administrations for disbursal," he said, adding the aid will be deposited in farmers' accounts in 8 to 10 days.

Fadnavis said he will be visiting flood-hit areas on Wednesday.

Deputy CM Eknath Shinde said 'panchanama' or damage assessment in the flood-hit region will be done on a war-footing and the government's priority was to provide immediate assistance to affected farmers.

Shinde said he himself will visit Dharashiv, one of the worst affected districts.

The deputy CM said Health Minister Prakash Abitkar will also tour the flood-hit areas considering the threat of outbreak of diseases.

Excess rainfall has been recorded in Dharashiv since September 20. In Paranda taluka, 96 villages were affected, followed by 53 in Bhum taluka, five in Lohara, three in Vashi and one each in Tuljapur and Kalamb talukas, an official said.

Heavy rains lashed catchment areas of the Jayakwadi dam in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Majalgaon in Beed since Monday night. "It was like a cloud burst in some of these areas," a revenue official said.

As many as 129 revenue circles in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Beed, Dharashiv, Parbhani and Hingoli districts recorded heavy rainfall (65 mm and above in a single day) over the last 24 hours, he said.

The highest rainfall at 158.25 mm was recorded in Therla revenue circle of Patoda in Beed district.

Marathwada has received 28.5 per cent more than the average rainfall till date since June 1 this year. The region has recorded 823.8 mm rainfall till Tuesday morning, against the average expected downpour of 640.8 mm for the period, he said.

The region has not witnessed such intense rainfall in more than 50 years as it has experienced over the past few days, minister Girish Mahajan said.

"The situation is very grim, I do not have words to express the devastation the heavy rainfall has caused," Mahajan told reporters in flood-ravaged Dharashiv district.

"This is a natural calamity. In the last 50, 60 or even 70 years, such rainfall has never been recorded in this region. The unprecedented downpour has washed away the fertile upper layer of soil. Several villages are surrounded by floodwaters, and people have lost cattle and other livestock in large numbers," he said. PTI AW MR PR SPK ND COR KRK GK NSK RSY