The water levels in the Krishna river has come down to 40 feet, bringing much-needed relief to the flood-affected western Maharashtra region. Earlier this week, the water levels had crossed the danger mark of 45 feet and the river was flowing at 52 feet.
The intense rain in the Krishna basin along with higher rainfall in catchment areas of the Koyna dam had led to massive floods in Western Maharashtra. Three districts — Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur– were affected the most by the floods. Almost 1.5 lakh people living in flood zones were moved to shelter camps. A large number of people from cities temporarily moved out seeking refuge in houses of relatives or friends in nearby districts.
Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil said, “The water levels in Krishna river is declining which is good news. If it does not rain more, the water level will decline further.”