Residents demand immediate assessment of flood-affected parts in Pandharpur

Locals claim state officials are yet to visit them to carry out panchanama.

Pandharpur: The floodwaters have completely damaged the house of the Nazarkar family in Pandharpur.

Asha Danke shows the mark on her kitchen wall where flood waters reached during the floods in Pandharpur, on Tuesday.(PRATHAM GOKHALE/HT)

“Floods are not new for Pandharpur. We are always prepared when river water levels rise, but the October 14 flood was sudden. We did not get time to collect belongings and household things, and just ran to save our lives. We are yet to see any government official visiting us for panchanama (assessment),” said Shrikrishna Govind Nazarkar, resident of Kumbhar ghat area which was flooded during the torrential rains on October 14 and 15.

More than 8,000 houses, shops and dharmashalas (rest houses) were submerged during the flood. Shubham Nazarkar, Nazarkar’s son and final year mechanical engineering student, said, “My final year exams are going on and all my study material is damaged. My engineering project related models and equipment are washed away.”

The rising water damaged the shops on Tambda Maruti Temple road. Sudhir Vijay Karaskar, owner of Jagdish Pustak Bhandar, said, “The flood waters damaged half of the spiritual and traditional books at my store. I tried to collect some books when the water level started rising, but when it suddenly touched above 4 feet level, I ran to a higher plane. None of the government officials have come here for panchanama. With business already hit by the Covid pandemic, we hope that the government will provide us immediate financial help.”

The flood affected parts in Pandharpur are Kumbhar ghat, Bhajandas chowk, Datta ghat, Mukhtabai Math road, Nath chowk, Kole Galli lane, Kranti chowk, Juni peth, Govind Pura, Sant peth, Ambedkarnagar and Kalika Devi chowk. Pandharpur is one of the most prominent pilgrim cities in Maharashtra where faithful visit to take darshan of Lord Vitthal.

One of the dharmashala damaged due to flood was Ashadhi Dindi Mandal, Thane Dharmashala in Pandharpur. Kalyan Mulidhar Naravade, a worker at the dharmashala, said, “The occupants were very few because of Covid situation, otherwise this place is full during this time. We vacated the place the moment water entered the premises. It took us four days to clean the place from mud and slush. Some part of the wall is also damaged.”