Heavy rains batter Marathwada; villages cut off, roads flooded

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Sep 27 (PTI) Incessant rains pounded several parts of Marathwada in Maharashtra on Saturday, cutting off villages and inundating low-lying roads and bridges in the traditionally drought-prone region, officials said.

More than 65 mm of rainfall was recorded in several parts of Beed, Latur, Dharashiv, Nanded, Parbhani and Hingoli districts in 24 hours ending at 8 am.

Gangakhed in Parbhani district received the highest rainfall of 143 mm in a single day, an official said.

According to officials, heavy rains lashed Kalmnuri and Vasmat talukas of Hingoli district, marooning three villages.

Chaundhi Bahiroba in Vasmat taluka and the villages of Bibthar and Kondhur Digras in Kalamnuri were cut off due to heavy rainfall, the official said.

Latur Collector Varsha Thakur Ghuge said that overnight downpour inundated low-lying areas, roads and bridges in the district.

"As a precautionary measure, we have shut water-logged bridges and roads. The Manjara River is flowing over its capacity, so there is a possibility that if the rains continue, water may enter some fields located along the riverbank," she told PTI.

Rescue teams are well-equipped and are already shifting stranded villagers, she said.

In Dharashiv, the administration has shut roads amid heavy rainfall, and teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are deployed in Bhum and Paranda talukas for rescue and relief efforts, another official said.

The weather department has issued an orange alert for Nanded, Latur, Beed, Hingoli, Parbhani and Dharashiv districts for Saturday, officials said.

Heavy rains and swollen rivers have caused large-scale damage in Marathwada since September 20, claiming at least nine lives, and floods have destroyed crops on lakhs of acres.

The Marathwada region, in the central part of the state, comprises Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Latur, Parbhani, Nanded, Hingoli, Beed and Dharashiv. PTI AW ARU