NDRF teams carry out rescue operations in Kolhapur. (Source: NDRF) NDRF teams carry out rescue operations in Kolhapur. (Source: NDRF)

The flood situation in Sangli, Kolhapur and Satara districts of Maharashtra remained critical on Wednesday, as teams from Army, Navy, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Coast Guard, along with local authorities, continued extensive relief efforts. More than 70,000 people have been moved to safer locations from the affected areas since Tuesday.

The Mumbai Bangalore highway, which connects Pune, Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur in Maharashtra and Nipani and Belgaum in Karnataka, had to be closed for traffic between Sangli and Kolhapur from 3 am on Tuesday due to flooding of the road from the Panchganga river.

The highway remained inundated at Kolhapur and Karad in Satara on Wednesday morning, cutting off the three districts of Sangli, Kolhapur and Satara from Pune and Mumbai. On Wednesday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reviewed the flood situation here by video-conferencing with the district collectors.

Pune Divisional Commissioner Dr Deepak Mhaisekar had told The Indian Express on Tuesday night, “Rivers in Kolhapur and Sangli crossed the danger mark and three villages were completely cut off as rescue efforts were launched. More than 56,000 people, including 10,000 in Kolhapur and 46,000 in Sangli, were initially moved to safer locations. Karad town in Satara was also affected. Along with the local disaster management machinery, formations of Army, Navy, NDRF and Coast guard were requisitioned, and they arrived on short notice. Four teams of NDRF were already deployed in these two districts, five additional teams stationed in Odisha were brought in.”

As many as 14,000 more people have since been moved to safer locations, including to several relief centres set up across these districts. Power supply had to be cut off in many parts of the three districts as transformers and feeder pillars were submerged.

Army columns under the Pune-headquartered Southern Command were deployed in Sangli, Kolhapur and Raigad in Maharashtra and also in Belgaum, Bagalkot and Raichur in Karnataka. Each Army column, which comprises around 60 soldiers led by two officers, is accompanied by an engineering and a medical team. A Navy team from Mumbai and a Coast Guard team from Ratnagiri were also pressed into action. Along with people, over 10,000 cattle were also moved to safer locations.

After communication between Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Karnataka, the discharge from Almatti was increased late on Tuesday, which eased the flood situation in Sangli district. The discharge from Ujani dam in Solapur led to flood-like situation in the temple town of Pandharpur, where at least 2000 families from low-lying areas were moved to safer locations.

By Wednesday, choppers were also brought in for the relief operations in Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara.

Superintendent of Police with Maharashtra State Highway Patrol’s Pune Division, Milind Mohite, said, “Due to the developing flood situation in Kolhapur and Sangli, traffic on Mumbai Bangalore Highway had to be completely stopped from 3 am on Tuesday. On Tuesday evening, water levels in Karad town rose, thus forcing us to stop traffic there too.”

Mohite added: “From Wednesday morning, the situation is worse. The highway remains closed for traffic, thus cutting off Karad, Sangli and Kolhapur. Our staff has been deployed at various points and toll booths, informing people about the closure.”

Power supply to over 80,000 people in Sangli and Kolhapur had to be disconnected as a safety measure after more than 200 transformers and feeder units were submerged on Tuesday.

Air Force joins relief work

On Wednesday, the Indian Air Force joined the ongoing relief work in Kolhapur and Sangli. An AVRO aircraft of South Western Air Command of the IAF flew an NDRF team and 3,000 kg of life-saving equipment — including two lifeboats and communication equipment — to Kolhapur airport around 12.10 pm amid heavy rain.

Earlier in the morning, around 7.40 am, one Medium Lift Helicopter of the IAF carrying NDRF personnel and load from Pune airbase had attempted to reach Kolhapur, but had to abort the journey due to bad weather conditions, IAF officials said.

In addition to one team each of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, two more teams of the Navy reached Kolhapur by aircraft on Wednesday morning and joined aid and relief work.

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