MUMBAI – Heavy monsoon rains have caused a lot of damage in Maharashtra, and at least ten people have died in rain-related accidents in the last 24 hours. The state disaster management department has confirmed that they had rescued more than 11,800 people from districts that were hit by floods. There were deaths in several districts: four in Nashik, two in each of Dharashiv and Ahilyanagar, and one in each of Jalna and Yavatmal.
Devendra Fadnavis, the Chief Minister of the state, has looked into the situation in eight districts of the Marathwada and Solapur areas and told officials to step up their relief operations on the ground. Sixteen teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been sent to different parts of the state to help with the huge rescue efforts, while two more are on standby in Pune.
Marathwada: From Drought to Flood
The Marathwada region has been hit the hardest, even though it is known for being dry. The area has never seen so much rain before. The Jayakwadi dam on the Godavari river filled to the brim, and its managers had to open all 27 of its gates. About 7,000 people have had to leave Paithan in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar because of worries about impending floodwaters. One area, Harsul, had an incredible 196 mm of rain in just one day. Heavy rain has also fallen in other parts of the region, such as Beed, Nanded, and Parbhani.
NDRF teams in Beed were able to save 12 individuals who were stuck at the Sangvi temple in Aashti. As the Godavari River rose to around 354 meters, about 970 people in Nanded were moved to safer places. Even though the rain wasn’t as heavy in Dharashiv, officials said that 3,615 people had to leave since the release of water from the Sina Kolegaon dam swamped low-lying areas.
Konkan and Mumbai were also affected.
The situation in Marathwada is still bad, but Mumbai has also been getting a lot of rain since Saturday night. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) says that several parts of the city and its suburbs saw more than 50 mm of rain between 8 am and 1 pm on Sunday. Even though it rained a lot, the city’s roads and rail services have mostly stayed the same, and traffic has been moving smoothly.
Heavy rain has also been reported in the nearby districts of Thane and Palghar, which has led to rescue operations. For instance, 262 people from 71 families were saved from their homes in Bhiwandi taluka.
IMD Issues Warning and Forecast
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has put Nashik on a “red alert” because there will be severe to very heavy rain and strong winds on Sunday and Monday. The IMD says that moderate to heavy rain will keep falling in different regions of Maharashtra until October 4th. Konkan-Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, and Marathwada are all likely to see more rain.
As the monsoon continues to rage in the state, officials are still working to help and save people, and they are also keeping an eye on dam levels and river flows to stop more deaths.