Over 11,500 evacuated in Marathwada amid heavy rains; two killed in Dharshiv

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Sep 28 (PTI) More than 11,500 persons were moved to safer places in central Maharashtra’s Marathwada on Sunday, with the authorities expecting more inflow into the Jayakwadi dam in the region, officials said on Sunday.

Two persons have died due to rain-related incidents in the Dharashiv district of the area, which also comprises Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Beed, Latur, Nanded, Hingoli and Parbhani districts.

The situation turned grim, particularly in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nanded districts, after the water level rose in Godavari river due to discharge from the Jayakwadi dam, triggering the relocation of those living on its banks and low-lying areas, they said.

In Paithan town in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 7,000 persons were evacuated after the water discharge from the Jayakwadi, the largest reservoir in the region, reached 2.26 lakh cusecs (cubic foot per second), an official said.

These persons were relocated from Vadali, Naygaon, Maygaon, Navgaon, Apegaon, Kuran Pimpri, Navgaon, Hiradpuri and Ambad Takli villages, a revenue official said.

All 27 gates of the Jayakwadi dam, including nine emergency ones, have been lifted to a height of eight feet. The storage has reached 98.07 per cent. The situation might even worsen as the Nashik district, upstream of Godavari, is receiving heavy rains, amid a ‘red alert’ announced by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), he said.

In Dharashiv district, over 3,600 persons were evacuated from inundated areas, while 970 persons living within the jurisdiction of Nanded Municipal Corporation were relocated to safer places. Godavari is flowing in Nanded district at a water level of about 354 metres, he said.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday reviewed the rainfall situation and ongoing relief operations in Marathwada and directed officials to intensify field-level efforts.

The authorities have fallen back on the traditional ‘dawandi’ (special announcements by playing drums) to alert people about impending floods in Beed district, where teams of the Indian Army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have also been kept on standby in Gevrai.

The Marathwada region, where major rivers like Godavari, Purna, and Manjara flow, has been reeling under floods amid incessant rains since September 20, with extensive damage to standing crops on thousands of hectares, houses and roads.

Excess rainfall was recorded in 189 revenue circles in six districts of the usually drought-probe Marathwada, officials had said on Sunday morning.

One death each was reported from Omerga and Paranda talukas of flood hit-Dharashiv district on Saturday night. One of victims drowned in the floodwaters while the other death was due to another rain-related incident, an official said.

“The rain intensity reduced in Dharashiv from last night. So, we are now focussing on supplying aid to the affected families. Due to ongoing water discharge of 75,500 cusec from the Sina Kolegaon dam, areas in Paranda were inundated. But we have shifted 3,615 residents to safer locations,” a senior district administration official told PTI.

In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the highest rainfall of 196 mm was recorded in Harsul circle in 24 hours, while Shivur and Borsar circles, in Vaijapur taluka, received 189.25 mm rain, another official said.

Due to heavy downpour in the Waluj area here, the traffic on Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar-Ahilyanagar road came to a halt in the morning, he said.

There are 483 revenue circles in the region where rain gauges are installed. Out of these, 189 circles recorded excess rainfall (above 65 mm in a single day) in the last 24 hours, the official said. PTI AW GK NR