Maharashtra: 7 Killed in Floods Over 24 Hours; ‘Red Alert’ in Seven Districts, Including Pune, Nashik

The Met on Monday issued ‘red alert’ in seven districts of Maharashtra as heavy rains continue to wreak havoc across several parts of the country. The warning for ‘heavy to extremely heavy rains’ was issued in Palghar, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Nashik, Pune, Kolhapur and Gadchiroli. In the last 24 hours alone, seven people have been killed in floods.

According to the India Meteorological Department, it has issued the red alert for heavy rains till July 14, while an orange alert has been sounded for Mumbai for the next three days.

The death toll due to rain-related incidents in the state now stands at 83, said the state disaster management authority in a report tracking such fatalities between June 1 and July 10. There are 13 NDRF and two state teams deployed in different parts of the state.

Chief minister Eknath Sinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis visited flood-affected areas in Gadchiroli, following which Shinde said a permanent plan will be drafted to ensure that villages in Gadchiroli district do not get cut off from other areas due to rains and floods every year.

TWO LANDSLIDES IN PUNE DISTRICT, THREE MISSING IN GADCHIROLI

Officials said heavy rains caused two landslides near the famous Bhimashankar temple in Pune’s Khed taluka, but no one was hurt. The first landslide took place in the early hours of the day, while the second one happened in the afternoon. Pune district, too, has been hit by the deluge.

Three persons went missing in Gadchiroli due to heavy rains, while water levels of several rivers in Nashik district rose due to an incessant downpour. Mumbai and its adjoining areas received moderate showers but Nashik district continued to be battered by heavy rains. Many temples on the bed of the Godavari river were submerged in the district, officials said.

PERMANENT PLAN TO FIX GADCHIROLI’S RAIN WOES

Shinde and Fadnavis inspected the Wainganga river in Gadchiroli district and took stock of the flood situation. “A permanent plan will be prepared for villages in Gadchiroli, which get cut off every year due to heavy rainfall and floods,” the CM said after presiding over a review meeting with officials.

He directed officials to submit a proposal for preparing the plan and said a government medical college and hospital, whose work is pending, will start soon in Gadchiroli.

Gadchiroli is experiencing heavy rainfall over the past three days. A total of 313 people from 11 villages have been moved to help centres. Communication lines with 128 villages were cut off last week due to heavy rains.

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