8 die, NDRF deployed as Maharashtra battles flood

In Raigad, 400 people from Karjat, Mahad and Khalapur tehsils were shifted, officials said.

At least eight people were killed as heavy rains wreaked havoc in various parts of Maharashtra, including Coastal Konkan, parts of Mumbai metropolitan region and several districts in Vidarbha on Thursday, triggering floods and prompting the deployment of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for rescue operations.

On Thursday, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray held a review meeting on the flood situation. (Pratik Chorge / HT Photo)

According to government officials, four people in Palghar district, three in Ratnagiri, and one in Raigad, died in rain-related incidents. Chiplun and Khed in Ratnagiri district were the worst-affected, as floodwater from Vasisthi river and the discharge of water from Koyana dam submerged several areas. Officials said that rescue operations were delayed due to poor connectivity and bad weather.

“We have deployed 17 NDRF companies in various districts, including Ratnagiri, Sindudurg, Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara. We have kept one company ready for Vidarbha. The NDRF teams reached Chiplun late because of the landslides on the way. Seven villages in and around Chiplun town are submerged while people are stranded on roofs and terraces of their homes. Indian Navy too has been requested to help in Chiplun and Khed. No casualties have been so far reported,” said an official from the state’s relief and rehabilitation department.

On Thursday, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray held a review meeting on the flood situation. He directed the officials to mobilise help from various state and central agencies.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Thackeray on Thursday and assured him of all possible support from the Centre. “Spoke to Maharashtra CM Shri Uddhav Thackeray and discussed the situation in parts of Maharashtra in the wake of heavy rainfall and flooding. Assured all possible support from the Centre to mitigate the situation. Praying for everyone’s safety and well-being. @OfficeofUT,” Modi tweeted.

The administration has also deployed 15 boats of the Indian Coast Guard and police department to evacuate hundreds of stranded residents. Two NDRF teams were expected to reach Chiplun and Khed by midnight while two helicopters of the Indian Air Force could not take off due to the bad weather. The administration, meanwhile, claimed to having rescued over 125 people on Thursday.

According to officials, many rivers including Vashishti, Jagbudi and Bavanadi in Ratnagiri were flowing over the danger mark. Cloudburst in Mahabaleshwar on Wednesday resulted in heavy rainfall of 480 mm in 24 hours, leading to the swelling of Savitri and Kaal rivers in Konkan belt, officials said. Similarly, water levels of Panchaganga in Kolhapur and Krishna in Sangli were near their danger marks. The discharge of water from Almatty dam in Karanataka also resulted in the rise in water level in Sangli.

“The Koyana dam in Satara was 62% full in the afternoon. We will have to discharge water if it reaches 80%...,” said Aseem Gupta, principal secretary, relief and rehabilitation department.

“Karjat and Mahad in Raigad districts and Kalyan and Bhiwandi in Thane also witnessed heavy rainfall. We have deployed NDRF companies in Mumbai and other parts for quick rescue ops,” said relief and rehabilitation minister Vijay Wadettiwar.

Many national and state highways were shut for vehicular traffic while the local train operations on Central and Harbour lines in Mumbai were affected due to flood-like situations.

In Raigad, 400 people from Karjat, Mahad and Khalapur tehsils were shifted, officials said.

With moderate to heavy rainfall across the state over last few days, the water stock level in reservoirs has increased to 34.28%. The state has received 57.3% of the season’s (June to September) rainfall with 574.7 mm rainfall recorded till date.