Maha floods toll rises to 112; 99 still missing
34 NDRF teams, six SDRF carrying out rescue operation
The death toll in Maharashtra due to flood and landslide-related incidents went up to 112 from
75 on Saturday and 99 people are still missing.
A total 1,35,313 people were evacuated in the last
48 hours in seven flood affected districts across Maharashtra.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has enhanced the number of its teams from 18 to 34 for undertaking rescue operations.
An NDRF team rescued two Power Department staff, hanging by safety belts on power cables, as a raging Surya River flowed below them in Palghar.
They were trying to restore the power supply in the area.
Another team of NDRF recovered six bodies during the rescue operation in Ambeghar, Satara landslide incident, while search for eight missing person's was underway.
The Coast Guard has extended the facility of its airbase at Ratnagiri to Indian Navy and Indian Air Force aircraft to operate from this base for rescue and relief operations. Indian Army has also mobilised columns under ''Operation Varsha''.
Meanwhile, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday visited flood affected Raigad district. He said that the government will chalk out a plan for rehabilitation of the villagers.
The landslides, which were caused by torrential rains, had affected Ratnagiri, Satara, Thane, Raigad, Kolhapur, Sangli and Pune.
As many as 78,111 people were evacuated in Sangli district and 40,882 people were shifted to safer places in Kolhapur.
A senior official of the Relief and Rehabilitation department said, “Torrential rainfall in various parts of Maharashtra often coinciding with high tides and also discharge from dams led to various regions in the state getting flooded.”
The senior official said that the highest number of fatalities, 52, were reported in Raigad district. The fatalities include 21 in Ratnagiri, seven in Kolhapur, 13 in Satara, two in Sindh-udurg, four in Mumbai, one in Pune and 12 in Thane.
Total 99 people were missing including 53 in Raigad, 27 in Satara, 14 in Ratnagiri, three in Thane, one in Kolhapur and one in Sindhudurg. He also said that a total 34 NDRF teams and six SDRF (state disaster management force) are carrying out a rescue and relief operation across the state along with three teams of Indian Army, seven teams of Navy, three teams of Coast Guard and one Air force helicopter.
“A fund of `2 crore each has been provided to Raigad and Ratnagiri through the State Disaster Response Fund. A fund of `50 lakhs has been allocated to all other affected districts for immediate response,” the official added.
Satara district collector Shekhar Singh said, “Three teams of NDRF are carrying out a rescue operation in the district. But we have demanded one additional NDRF team.”
The Indian Army is also providing cooked meals and drinking water in tankers to the villagers. Medical camps have also been established wherein medical teams of Army doctors and nursing assistants have been deployed for providing necessary first aid and medicines to locals being evacuated from flood affected areas.
In a major decision, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority has been instructed to undertake the mammoth task of rebuilding Taliye village, which had been badly affected in Raigad district.