weather-rains-yavatmal

Yavatmal, Maharashtra, Aug 5 (UNI) Three villages in Yavatmal have been cut off from the rest of the district due to incessant rains which has claimed four lives during the last 48 hours.

Over 300 people from these three villages -- Anantwadi in Mahagaon tehsil, Chimta in Arni tehsil and Jugad in Wani tehsil, had been stranded but few of them have now been evacuated.

The district administration has requisitioned two helicopters from the Indian Air Force to conduct rescue and relief operations.

District superintendent of police Abdur Rehman told reporters that four persons were swept away by the flood waters. They have been identified as Punjabrao Prashant Kothare (45) from Yavatmal tehsil, and Laxman Wilhare (38), Namdeo Bapurao Warkade (29) and Wamanrao Ramlu Pusanetwar (52), all from Ralegaon tehsil.

The rivers in the district as also seven medium and one major irrigation project have started flowing above the danger mark.

Movement of vehicular traffic on National Highway No.7 has been affected due to the floods near village Patenbori.

Residential deputy collector S N Misra said over 500 houses have been completely destroyed in the district while over 1000 others have been damaged. Standing crops too have been damaged but the extent of damage is yet to be ascertained, Mr Misra said. The district had received 121 mm rains till 08:00 hrs today.

Meanwhile, the rains caused some discomfort to acting chief justice of Bombay High Court V G Palshikar who was stranded on the Nagpur-Tulzapur National Highway near village Madkona, about 15 kms away from the city on Friday evening. He was later escorted to the city by the police.

Justice Palshikar was on his way to Yavatmal from Nagpur but was stranded near village Madkona as both the sides of the road were flooded making it impossible to progress further. The DSP of Yavatmal sent a special team of officers to escort Justice Palshikar to a safer place.

Earlier, a police team was sent to the help of Justice Palshikar but this team met with an accident near the Madkona Ghat and four members of the team were injured. Thereafter, the special team of officers was sent.

UNI XR MAZ SHB KP0010