Maharashtra floods: State announces ₹11,500-crore relief package

Of the package, ₹1,500 crore will be allocated towards ex-gratia for the flood-affected people, ₹3,000 crore for redevelopment and ₹7,000 crore for various long-term flood-mitigation schemes.

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced a relief package of ₹11,500 crore for the massive floods that claimed 219 lives and caused losses to crops, housing structures, roads and electricity infrastructure.

The floods and landslides, which ravaged 15 districts since July 22, claimed 229 lives and caused losses to crops, housing structures, roads and electricity infrastructure. (Hindustan Times)

The floods and landslides, which ravaged 15 districts since July 22, injured over 50 and also saw a livestock toll of 4,500. The government has also decided to shift and rehabilitate the residents of the landslide-hit Taliye village in Raigad district.

Of the package, ₹1,500 crore will be allocated towards ex-gratia for the flood-affected people, ₹3,000 crore for redevelopment and ₹7,000 crore for various long-term flood-mitigation schemes.

The state cabinet in a meeting on Tuesday gave its nod to the proposal.

The state cabinet also increased the compensation to the affected people by setting the set norms of the SDRF aside. The ex-gratia for the complete damage to houses has been increased to ₹1.5 lakh from ₹96,000, while the compensation for the partial damage to houses has been hiked and ranges between ₹15,000 and ₹50,000. The next to the kin of the deceased will be given ₹9 lakh as ex gratia. The traders and road-side venders will be given ex-gratia of ₹50,000 and ₹10,000 each as compensation for their losses.

Wadettiwar said that the next to the kin of the deceased in the flooding will get ₹9 lakh. Besides the ex-gratia of ₹4 lakh as per NDRF norms, an additional Rs1 lakh from the CM relief fund, ₹2 lakh from the PM relief fund and ₹2 lakh from the farmer insurance scheme to the families of the deceased. The road and bridges has sustained losses of ₹2,400 crore, while the losses to the electricity infrastructure is more than ₹1,200 crore. More than 30,000 hectares of the agricultural land has eroded.

Minority affairs minister Nawab Malik said the state government is chalking out a policy for the rehabilitation of the villages vulnerable to the landslide and rain-related calamities. The villages and hamlets that the prone to the calamities like landslides will be rehabilitated as per the policy, which will be approved by the cabinet. The district authorities are identifying such vulnerable settlements. The Taliye village, which was devastated in the landslide two weeks ago, and four hamlets adjacent to it will be rehabilitated by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada). The place has been identified by the local authorities. The rehabilitation with the laying of the infrastructure will require ₹4.5 lakh per house, of which ₹1.5 lakh will be given by the state, while remaining cost will be borne by Mhada,” he said.

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has also directed the state authorities to constitute a committee of administrative officers and experts to recommend the plan for the rehabilitation of people living in blue line of the rivers and landslide-prone areas. “Also, undertake the widening and deepening of the rivers such as Gandhari, Savitri, Vashishti from Konkan, along with constructing flood-control wall on these rivers in next three years. The Real Time Data Acquisition system, too, should be set up on these rivers in the next three months,” he has directed the authorities.

According to the officials from the chief minister office, the expert committee will recommend the steps to be taken for the flood management, conservation of the eco sensitive zones and rehabilitation of the people from the vulnerable areas.

Heavy rainfall for more than a week from July 22 had lashed Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg in Konkan, Sangli, Kolhapur, Satara in western Maharashtra and parts of Vidarbha and central Maharashtra. More than 11 landslides in Raigad, Satara and Ratnagiri claimed 219 lives, injuring 52 people. Six people are still missing.

Thackeray had visited flood- hit western Maharashtra and Konkan over the past ten days and assured flood-affected people of a relief package. He also hinted at strict action against the encroachments and illegal structures in the floodplains and riverbanks. He had also said that the state government will study the reports submitted by the experts groups in the past and take corrective actions accordingly.

In western Maharashtra, 132,635 families are affected in Pune, Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur. 8,034 domestic structures were damaged fully or partially, while 5,428 traders suffered losses in four districts. In eight districts of central Maharasthra, 115,663 hectares under crops in 1,003 villages has been damaged since June 1.

“The package covers more than 15 districts across the state and the losses sustained from June 1,the beginning of the monsoon, has been taken into consideration, while announcing it,” said an official from the relief and rehabilitation department.