Flood situation worsens, death toll reaches 28

Aurangabad (Maharashtra), Aug 7: Flood situation in Marathwada worsened further, as heavy rains continued for the third day today, with death toll in rain related incidents reaching 28 following three more deaths reported from the region last night.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who arrived here along with Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil from Mumbai to undertake an aerial survey of the flood-affected districts, could not start his mission due to bad weather, sources said here.

Majority of the dams and lakes including Jayakwadi (Aurangabad), Vishnupuri (Nanded), Yeldari and Siddheshwar (Parbhani) have witnessed considerable rise in their water level following heavy rains in their catchment areas. As a result, irrigation authorities were forced to open 18 gates of Jayakwadi and 17 gates of the Vishnupuri project in Nanded.

Nanded, Parbhani and Hingoli are the worst affected districts of the region.

According to a report from UNI's Nanded bureau, at least 22,800 people have been evacuated from the flood-affected low laying areas of the district to 41 temporary camps set up by the administration.

While the Army have rescued about eight people from Hadgaon safely, at least 100 people are stranded at Sangmeshwar village in Deglur tehsil where the Army is expected to begin their rescue operation, sources said.

The district administration has set up temporary sheds and buildings of schools and colleges have been converted into the boarding of the flood-affected people there, sources added.

At least 6,500 people, majority of them residents of Dhangar Takli village in Purna tehsil of Parbhani district, have been stranded for the last 48 hours as their villages are surrounded by flood waters of Godavari river.

According to a report from UNI's Beed correspondent, at least 800 residents of Rajapur village in Georai tehsil have been stranded as flood waters surrounded their tiny village, cutting-off their communication lines.

The Army, which has reached there, is expected to begin rescue operations anytime.

The road traffic between Aurangabad-Nanded, Aurangabad-Parbhani, as well as elsewhere in the region has been partially blocked by the rains.

However, the train services of the South Central Railway (SCR) are being operated with change in routes. The SCR has also cancelled a few passenger services.

According to information available from various district authorities, of the 28 deaths in the region in the last three days, majority of the them died in the incidents of wall collapses and other rain-related mishaps in the Marathwada region. One person was electrocuted after coming in contact with a live wire in Beed district yesterday.

Seven deaths were reported from the worst-affected Nanded district in the region, followed by Jalna - seven, Parbhani - five, Latur - four, Aurangabad - three and Beed - two.

Four people were swept away in the flood waters, three of them in Nanded district and one at Beed, sources said and added that efforts are on to trace them.

Communication lines have been totally cut-off in several villages of the region, where authorities are trying to establish contacts through boats as well as helicopters, sources in Aurangabad said.

UNI