pune

Updated: Aug 08, 2019 13:30 IST

Incessant rains followed by heavy discharge of water from Radhanagari and Koyna dams in western Maharashtra has led to floods in Sangli and Kolhapur with at least 139 villages marooned over the last 48 hours, a district administration official said.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to extremely heavy rainfall warning for Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur region on August 8 and 9 which could worsen flood conditions in western Maharashtra.

The Kolhapur district administration has deployed one helicopter of Goa Coast Guard and Indian Navy’s three helicopters in Sangli and Kolhapur districts to airlift flood-affected residents.

Guardian minister Chandrakant Patil and irrigation minister Girish Mahajan visited National Highway 4 (Mumbai-Bengaluru) on Wednesday morning and met residents affected by flood in Kolhapur district.

NDRF personnel helping stranded people in Kohlapur. ( Anil Velhal / HT Photo )

In Kolhapur district, the district authorities have evacuated around 15,000 people even as disaster management teams, including those of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were engaged in rescuing an estimated 35,000 people trapped in the floods. “The NDRF and navy rescue operations are going on a war footing,” said Pune divisional commissioner Deepak Mhaisekar.

Also Read | 16 killed, 1.32 lakh displaced in floods in western Maharashtra

On Wednesday morning, an Avro aircraft of the navy landed in Kolhapur with a rescue team from the coast guard to assist the flood victims. The aircraft which took off from Goa was held up in Ratnagiri on Tuesday due to bad weather, Kolhapur district collector Daulat Desai said.

“A team of 22 people, two boats and a helicopter from Goa Coast Guard arrived on Wednesday morning. Teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the army started providing relief to flood victims by boats since morning. At least 11,432 families from 204 villages have been relocated to safe places,” said Desai, adding that Indian Navy has agreed to provide 14 water boats for rescue work. Out of four NDRF’s boats, two have have been sent to Shirol taluka, one for Ichalkaranji-Hatkanangale area and one for Kolhapur city.

A flooded road in Pune’s Bhimanagar Balewadi, Tuesday,August 6, 2019. ( HT Photo )

Prayag-Chikhali and Longhe (Gaganbawada) villages were disconnected and people were airlifted. At least 80 patients in Apple hospital (Kadamawadi) and 60 patients in Ashwini hospital near Kolhapur railway station where affected because of power outage. The relatives of Sangita Patil (29), who was pregnant and admitted in Apple hospital, were unable to reach the hospital because of flood situation.

At least 30 residents of Narsimha society in Kolhapur were stranded at the top floor of their housing society for more than last 24 hours. Unmesh Jagtap, the society’s chairman, posted message with location on social media seeking help.

Kolhapur, India - August 7, 2019: A view of rescue and relief work highlighting the flood situation in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India, on Wednesday, August 7, 2019. (Photo by ( Anil Velhal / HT Photo )

The stretch of national highway No. 4 between Kolhapur and Belagavi was shut for vehicular traffic due to flooding of the highway, Kolhapur police said.

According to the district collectorate, at least 204 villages in Kolhapur district were badly affected by floods and 51,785 people from 11,432 families have been relocated to safer places.

Kolhapur municipal corporation has relocated 3,453 people of 889 families, along with 107 pets and animals, to safer places. 545 families have decided to move to their relatives’ placed.

Patil said, “At least 259 personnel of navy, army, NDRF and air force and their 31 boats are deployed for rescue efforts. I request residents to not panic, but follow instructions given district administration.”

Rescue and relief work being carried out in flood-affected Kolhapur, Maharashtra, on Wednesday, August 7, 2019. ( Anil Velhal / HT Photo )

According to district administration, on Wednesday, at 4 pm, the water level in Panchganga river touched 55.5 feet (43 feet flood level), the highest since the 53-foot mark recorded during the 2005 floods.

In Sangli, at 11 am on Wednesday, 31,783 people and 9,728 livestock of 6,526 families were temporarily relocated to safe places.

Out of these, 17,719 people and 3,648 animals from 3,981 families have been temporarily rehabilitated in the district administrative camps and 14,064 people and 6,080 animals from 2,545 families have been temporarily rehabilitated to their relatives’ places.

Also Read | Heavy rains put western Maharashtra on alert, rescue ops on