Maharashtra Cabinet today will discuss the damage caused due to heavy rains, floods, landslides in nine districts and the relief aid to be provided to villagers.
The cabinet will also take up waiver in tax recovered by gram panchayats on state and Central government airports lands and buildings.
On Monday, Maharashtra PWD Minister Ashok Chavan said the state needs Rs 2,244 crore for repair and reconstruction of roads and bridges that were damaged in heavy rains, floods and landslides in late July.
Chavan chaired a meeting to review the damage caused to road infrastructure, mostly in the coastal Konkan region and western Maharashtra, which were ravaged by intense downpour and floods.
He said, "The state needs Rs 2,244 crore for repair and reconstruction of roads and bridges that were damaged due to excess rains in the last week of July. As many as 4,138 roads, causeways and bridges have been damaged due to the excess showers in the state." The minister favoured construction of elevated roads in flood-prone areas of Maharashtra.
"The climate change would bring more showers in coming years which demands construction of bridges and roads anticipating unprecedented flooding and downpour. It is necessary to consider construction of elevated roads in areas that are frequently getting flooded," said a statement issued by Chavan's office after the meeting.
Meanwhile, a total of 18,751 families in Mahad and Poladpur talukas in Raigad district were affected by flooding and other rain-related incidents on July 22 and 23, a district official said on Monday.
As per the survey done by the state revenue department, 18,000 families belong to Mahad and 751 to Poladpur, while 562 farmers have also incurred losses due to flooding, he said.
"While 30 houses in Mahad and eight houses in Poladpur are fully damaged, the number of partially damaged homes stands at 8,121 in Mahad and 552 in Poladpur. A total of 28 cattle shelters were destroyed. So far, 3,082 families have received relief from the state government by way of rice, wheat and kerosene" the official said
He informed that the number of survey teams of the revenue department in Mahad stood at 48, with 30 of them stationed in the non-town areas of the taluka.
A release from the Maharashtra State Electricity Board said 1,078 transformers in 345 villages were damaged during the heavy rains that the area witnessed recently, of which 261 had been repaired.
(With inputs from PTI)
