Over 1.35 lakh people, rendered homeless in the monsoon fury across Maharashtra, are being relocated to safer places. The death toll from the destruction has risen to 112 in Satara, Mumbai suburban district, Raigad, Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, Pune and Ratnagiri, with maximum deaths of 52 in Raigad. Incessant rains and a dozen landslides have affected 875 villages in these districts and 99 people are still missing. The number of deaths may rise as the rescue and relief operations are still underway.
The state government has sanctioned Rs 2 crore each from the State Disaster Response Fund for Raigad and Ratnagiri and Rs 50 lakh for all the other affected districts together. The department said torrential rainfall in various parts of the state, often coinciding with high tides and also discharge from dams, led to various regions getting inundated.
Mahad and Poladpur in Raigad, Chiplun in Ratnagiri, along with various areas in Satara, Kolhapur and Sangli have been the worst affected. A flood situation also arose in the districts of Thane and Palghar.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has enhanced the number of teams from 26 to 34 to undertake rescue operations in coastal areas hit by landslides and floods. These teams are being deployed in Mumbai, Ratnagiri, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Satara, Sangli, Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, Pune and Nagpur for rescue and relief work.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) also sent two emergency teams to Raigad and Kolhapur. Each of these is equipped with one mobile medical van, four water tankers, one towing lorry and recycling machines. Seventy-five BMC workers – most of them employees from the solid waste management department – have been divided into two groups. A medical team of Lokmanya Tilak Hospital is also accompanying them.
In addition, Indian Navy, Army, Coast Guard and Air Force teams have been deployed in Ratnagiri, Raigad, Sangli and Kolhapur.
Further, the State Disaster Response Force has deployed two teams each in Raigad and Nagpur, while 59 boats comprising 48 NDRF and 11 SDRF personnel have been engaged in rescue operations.
President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday called Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and expressed his concern over the loss of life and property across the state.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray visited Taliye village in Raigad, where more than 49 bodies from landslides were recovered. Thackeray assured compensation and resettlement of the affected people. Taliye village was not identified as a landslide-prone area but the tragedy occurred due to excessive rains, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said.
