The Asian Age

Deadly floods in Maha leave trail of destructio­n

Death toll rises to 138 and 1,35,313 people evacuated in last 48 hours

- SONU SHRIVASTAV­A with agency inputs

The death toll in Maharashtr­a due to flood and landslide-related incidents went up to 138 from 128 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

THE LANDSLIDES, which were caused by torrential rains, had affected Ratnagiri, Satara, Thane, Raigad, Kolhapur, Sangli and Pune. 78,111 people were evacuated in Sangli district and 40,882 people were shifted to safer places in Kolhapur

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

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. 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 Sindhudurg, 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.

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