Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday shared an update on the rain-hit state as heavy rainfall battered several districts, including Nanded, Mumbai, and Pune. At least five people went missing in Nanded district due to flooding caused by torrential rains in the early hours. “Five citizens are missing, and a search operation is underway,” said Fadnavis in a post on X.
Giving further details on the relief and rescue operations, he said he had reviewed the situation with the district collector. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Indian Army, and other rescue teams have been deployed at the site for relief work.
“I am personally in constant contact with the Nanded District Collector, and the District Collectors of Nanded, Latur, and Bidar are coordinating with each other to carry out rescue operations,” he added.
“A military unit from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has also been dispatched. The local administration has been instructed to remain in the affected areas and coordinate continuously,” he said further.
Over 200 people were reported stranded in different villages of Maharashtra amid heavy rainfall. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Nanded district, forecasting heavy rains on Monday and Tuesday, according to news agency PTI.
Nanded Collector Rahul Kardile confirmed that the district administration had called in a unit of the Indian Army to rescue people stranded in the floods.
Fadnavis also said that due to heavy rains in Mukhed taluka of Nanded district, there has been a significant rise in the water level of the Lendi Dam.
“Additionally, a large amount of water is flowing in from Latur, Udgir, and Karnataka. Yesterday, the rainfall here was approximately 206 mm. As a result, daily life in Ravangaon, Bhaswadi, Bhingeli, and Hasnal has been severely affected,” he said.
“In Ravangaon, 225 citizens are trapped in floodwaters, and those in extremely adverse conditions have been evacuated. Efforts are underway to relocate the remaining citizens to safer locations. In Hasnal, eight citizens have been rescued. In Bhaswadi, 20 citizens are stranded but safe. In Bhingeli, 40 citizens are stranded but safe,” the CM added.
More than 65 mm of rainfall was recorded in 80 revenue circles of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Nanded, and Parbhani districts on Sunday. A low-pressure area is forming over Central India, and under its influence, Konkan, Madhya Maharashtra (mainly the ghat areas), Mumbai, and Marathwada (mainly western and southern parts) are likely to receive heavy rainfall between August 18 and 19. This includes districts across Konkan, Nashik, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Palghar, Thane, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Solapur, Dharashiv, and parts of Latur.
In Dharashiv, heavy rains over the last three to four days have put 38,000 acres of crops at risk, with 108 villages affected during the kharif season. According to a preliminary report by the district administration, around 38,315 hectares of crops have been destroyed. Meanwhile, 53 animals, both large and small, were washed away in the floods in streams and rivers.