india

Updated: Aug 10, 2019 01:57 IST

Five days after the incessant rains and floods in Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara, the state and central agencies involved in rescue operations have evacuated over 252,813 people even as 29 people have reportedly died. In Karnataka, over 23 persons have died in the past week, with seven killed on Friday due to landslides in Kodagu district caused by heavy rains. Around 207,000 people were evacuated by authorities across the state.

With crops on more than 1 lakh hectare destroyed, losses are also expected to run to hundreds of crores of rupees, prompting the Maharashtra government to seek financial assistance from the central government.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke to his Karnataka counterpart BS Yediyurappa following which Karnataka discharged 450,000 cusecs water from the Almatti dam, in order to ease flood situation in Kolhapur and Sangli districts.

Road connectivity, power supply, landline phones and supply of drinking water, fuel and food items continued to be disrupted in Kolhapur district, even as supply of food grains, vegetables, milk and medicines was hit in the city.

Over 200,000 people have been plunged into darkness in Kolhapur and Sangli, two of the worst affected districts in Maharashtra, even as the closure of the Mumbai-Bengaluru National Highway for the fourth consecutive day has meant that delivery of essentials to states like Goa, has been hit.

In a statement, Vikas Puri, spokesperson of Kolhapur circle of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Corporation Ltd (MSEDCL) said as many as 3,333 transformers across the district had been shut down affecting 1.59 lakh electricity connections.

Over 30 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) besides 26 teams of Navy, 11 Coast Guards, 8 Army teams of 40 personnel are part of the rescue operations in the state.

Chief secretary of Maharashtra Ajoy Mehta said that the state administration has released Rs 154 crore to the district collectorates to ensure immediate relief as ex-gratia payment.

Excessive rains in Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur for last four days has been recorded at 223%, 181% and 124% over the average, respectively.

The state government is expected to demand more than Rs 800 crore towards to the loss and restoration of the infrastructural facilities.

“The situation is getting worse day by day and all our drivers and staff workers are being held back due to safety reasons near Satara, Ichalkaranji and parts of Sangli district. This is causing a major loss to business and clients are waiting for their deliveries. We hope and pray that this flood situation clears as early as possible,” said Baba Shinde, president Maharashtra State goods and passengers transport association.

All passenger transport, including private tourist buses going towards Kolhapur, Bangalore and Goa have been halted.

Over 141,000 people have been shifted to the 576 relief camps across the state.

Kodagu district, which borders Kerala, recorded 212 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Friday. Uttara Kannada on the coast received 109 mm of rainfall.

Overall, 10 teams of the NDRF, 11 columns of the army, two teams of SDRF, four helicopters of the Air Force and teams of the Indian Coast Guard were pressed into relief and rescue work across the state.

Chief minister BS Yediyurappa continued his tour of the northern districts on Friday. “Officials in all the districts are working very well. All our MLAs are visiting the districts and so are our MPs,” he said.