Maharashtra flounders as wet spell continues

Most overbridges were closed for traffic as the Mutha crossed the danger mark following the downpour and the release of large quantities of water into the river from the neighbouring Khadakwasla dam. The city recorded 105 mm of rainfall till Saturday night.

A resident of Vithalwadi area died yesterday as flood waters gushed into his house while three others were reported missing in the floods. Rail and road traffic, which remained completely paralysed for the last two days, was restored by this morning.

In Nashik, three persons were washed away during the last 48 hours. All the major rivers — Godavari, Darna, Waldevi and Nasardi — were in spate with flood waters submerging hundreds of hutments on the river banks.

Thousands of people were shifted to safer places even as the city witnessed an unprecedented traffic jam. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on the busy Mumbai-Agra national highway. The fire-brigade reported wall collapses in the Samatanagar, Takali and Khande-Ganapati localities. However, no deaths were reported. The bountiful rains brought respite to farmers in the Marathwada region, which had been reeling under drought-like conditions.

However, the torrential downpour during the past 48 hours claimed the lives of a four-year old girl in Warudi village in Badnapur taluka and a five-year old boy in Palashkheda village in Bhokardhan Taluka, both in Jalna district.

In Jalgaon district, Sunita and Jyoti Ingale, both sisters, were electrocuted when they came in contact with live wires on their farm at Nhavi village in Yawal tehsil yesterday. The Tapi, Girna and Purna rivers in Jalgaon were in spate since yesterday and people living along the river banks were asked to shift to safer places.

A report from Ratnagiri said two persons were washed away in floods in the district yesterday.

Malkapur, a small town in Buldhana district, recorded the highest rainfall 292 mm in the 36-hour period ending last evening. Over a thousand houses were submerged under flood waters. Life in Kolhapur district was trudging back to normalcy after the deluge. However, the Panchganga river was still in spate, while water was released from the Radhanagari and Tulsi dams.

Paddy crops in Gaganbavada taluka of the district were washed away for the second time during the season. Anguished farmers were now awaiting a respite from the rains.