8 Dead; Houses, Crops Damaged After Rain Havoc In Marathwada

Eight individuals lost their lives, while hundreds of homes suffered damage over a four-day period as severe rainfall devastated the typically arid Marathwada region of Maharashtra, officials reported on Tuesday.

In Dharashiv, 159 villages were affected and 186 livestock perished. (Representational)

The state cabinet conducted a situation assessment during a meeting in Mumbai, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assuring that the government was actively working to provide assistance to affected farmers and residents.

More than 750 houses and agricultural lands spanning over 33,000 hectares were damaged in Dharashiv district, necessitating the deployment of helicopters and boats to rescue stranded individuals.

Continuous heavy rainfall has been affecting various areas of Marathwada since September 20, causing dams to swell and forcing authorities to release water from these structures.

Since September 20, eight fatalities have been recorded, including three in Latur, two in Beed, and one each in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nanded, and Dharashiv due to lightning strikes, drowning, and related causes, according to a revenue official.

Infrastructure damage included a road and two schools in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, along with three bridges in Jalna and Beed. Additionally, five small dams were damaged by flooding throughout the Marathwada region.

In Dharashiv, 159 villages experienced impacts and 186 livestock died, while other districts including Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, and Beed also confronted flood-like conditions, officials reported.

The Dharashiv district administration utilized boats and helicopters to evacuate stranded villagers, as stated by officials.

According to reports, 129 revenue circles across the Marathwada region experienced substantial rainfall in the preceding 24 hours.

Speaking in Mumbai, Fadnavis confirmed that the government was implementing relief measures for farmers and others affected by the floods.

He informed reporters that rainfall totaling 975.05 mm had been recorded over the past four to five days, representing 102 percent of the average expected precipitation.

The cabinet reviewed the rainfall situation, and guardian ministers have been instructed to visit affected areas, with Fadnavis planning to personally tour flood-hit regions on Wednesday.

"Rescue operations continue in Beed and Dharashiv. The NDRF has rescued 27 individuals in Dharashiv, and 200 people have been relocated to safer locations. Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan is on-site overseeing rescue and relief efforts. The administration plans to request additional helicopters for rescue operations," the chief minister stated.

"Relief is being provided to farmers as damage inspection reports are completed. Approximately 31.64 lakh farmers have received assistance thus far, and Rs 2,215 crore will be distributed. Of this amount, Rs 1,800 crore has been allocated to district administrations for disbursement," he added, noting that the aid would be transferred to farmers' accounts within 8 to 10 days.

NCP (SP) chief and former Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar urged the government to accelerate the process of providing assistance to farmers who have incurred losses due to heavy rainfall.

Excessive rainfall has been documented in Dharashiv since September 20.

According to preliminary loss reports from the district administration, 159 villages across six talukas have been impacted by excessive rainfall and river flooding.

In Paranda taluka, 96 villages were affected, followed by 53 in Bhum taluka, five in Lohara, three in Vashi, and one each in Tuljapur and Kalamb talukas, an official reported.

He noted that 766 houses sustained partial damage while five huts were completely destroyed.

Crops covering more than 33,010 hectares were also damaged. The Dharashiv administration has initiated surveys to assess crop losses, the official stated.

Heavy rainfall also impacted the catchment areas of Jayakwadi dam in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Majalgaon in Beed since Monday night.

"Some of these areas experienced what resembled a cloudburst," a revenue official remarked.

Both dams were nearly at capacity, and water discharge was ongoing due to continuous inflow, he explained.

Javlala and Ramoda areas within the Majalgaon dam catchment received 160 mm and 120 mm of rainfall respectively since Monday night, according to the official.

The regions of Gangapur (46 mm), Paithan (92 mm), and Bhendala (52 mm), within the Jayakwadi dam catchment area, also experienced precipitation, he added.

Furthermore, excessive rainfall was recorded in Ghansawangi and Ambad talukas of Jalna and Gevrai taluka in Beed, the official reported.

This resulted in the swelling of the Godavari river and flood-like conditions in several villages across Chhatrapati Sambajinagar, Jalna, and Beed districts, he noted.

A total of 129 revenue circles in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Beed, Dharashiv, Parbhani, and Hingoli districts documented heavy rainfall (65 mm and above in a single day) during the past 24 hours, according to the official.

The highest rainfall, measuring 158.25 mm, was recorded in the Therla revenue circle of Patoda in Beed district, the official stated.

The Marathwada region, comprising eight districts, has received 28.5 percent more than the average rainfall to date since June 1 this year. The region has documented 823.8 mm of rainfall as of Tuesday morning, compared to the expected average precipitation of 640.8 mm for this period, he explained.

Dharashiv has recorded 148.8 percent rainfall at 833.5 mm, against the expected average of 560 mm during the period, the official concluded.