This is one of the biggest rescue operations carried out in recent years where more than 1.35 lakh people have been evacuated from their submerged homes to safer areas.
Seven people have died due to rain incidents in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district, whereas more than 75,000 people have been shifted to safer places, a state minister said on Saturday. The total death toll due to floods in Maharashtra has increased to 112, while 99 more are missing, the State Disaster Management Authority said on Saturday.
Around six NDRF teams and a column of the Army carried out rescue operations in these areas hit by floods, the district guardian minister Satej Patil said.
This is one of the biggest rescue operations carried out in recent years where more than 1.35 lakh people have been evacuated from their submerged homes to safer areas. In some places the flood waters have been observed up to 20-feet deep.
Meanwhile, the intensity of rains has decreased and the water level of the Panchganga river near Kolhapur city further dipped to 53.10 feet by 9 pm, an official said. However, the entry for vehicles on the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway, remained closed as a stretch near Shiroli village in the district was still under water.
In relation with the evacuation of the flood affected people, the district guardian minister told the press that 67,111 people chose to go to their relatives’ places, while more than 8,000 people were shifted to government shelters.
Also read: Landslide: 36 dead, Over 30 Feared Trapped In Maharashtra’s Raigad District
Due to this havoc caused by the floods, 58 people have been injured and are undergoing treatment at various hospitals.
As there was no rainfall on Saturday, the flood affected districts of Maharashtra showed a disheartening scene where many people were struggling to rebuild their lives.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray visited the worst-hit Taliye village near Mahad, where more than 50 people died under a landslide on Friday.
According to the SDMA, the towns of Chiplun and Khed in Ratnagiri district were completely inundated with water, both remaining cut-off from land routes as the Vashishti river bridge was washed away in the floods.
As the water levels due to floods reached more than 15-20 feet, thousands of people were stranded on rooftops or upper floors of their houses and were seen screaming for help.
The NDRF and ICG teams were deployed to rescue them while IAF choppers dropped food and medicine packets.
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