4 villages marooned in Shirol tehsil of Kolhapur

Kolhapur, July 31: Four villages in the Shirol tehsil of the district - Rajapur, Rajapurwadi, Khidrapur and Bustwad - have been marooned and communication and other links remained cut-off as there was no reduction in flood waters.

The irrigation dams in Western Maharashtra, including Koyna, Warna, Radhanagri and Tulshi are continuously releasing excess water in the river beds, thus causing an increase in flood waters in the region, District Collector office here today said.

Army jawans with fur boats have been pressed into service to carry out rescue and relief operations in the tehsil, where seven other villages are also inundated and the vehicular traffic there has been diverted via other ways, sources said adding that the condition in many other villages is also not good, owing to water-logged roads.

At least 1,200 people from 256 families of the tehsil have been shifted to safer places so far, sources said.

Last year also, the residents of Shirol tehsil had faced a devastating flood situation.

Meanwhile, Panchaganga river is on spate for the third time in the current monsoon and has crossed the warning mark of 39 ft, as it is flowing at 40.10 ft near Kasaba-Bavada suburb at Rajaram weir.

The district has received a total 544.3 mm rainfall during the last 24 hrs ended at 0800 hrs this morning, while Radhanagri tehsil received the highest downpour of 126 mm.

UNI