During the lashing storms in Maharashtra, 138 lost their lives while 90,000 people were moved to safety zones.
IMD issues yellow alert for Thane, Palghar; orange for Raigad, Ratnagiri and the India Meteorological Department predicted ‘heavy rains at certain areas in Mumbai and Palghar on Saturday.
At least 54 villages have been badly affected due to torrential downpours in Kolhapur and the 138 people who lost their lives in the storms were also due to multiple landslides, in Maharashtra and the Maharashtra Minister of Relief and Rehabilitation, Vijay Wadettiwar, said.”138 accidental deaths were reported in Maharashtra due to rain and other monsoon-related incidents.
In particular, there were 36 who died in a landslide in the coastal Raigad district, about 70 km from state capital Mumbai. Several districts – primarily the Konkan region – have been enduring incessant rain over the past few days, leaving thousands of people cut off, struggling in floods and landslides.
Satara district in Western Maharashtra has also been pummeled by lashing rains and tragically several people have been swept away by floodwaters, an official was reported as saying putting the death count in Satara at 27.
Other fatalities include those reported from eastern districts such as Gondia and Chandrapur, he said.
“Rainfall in various parts of the state often coinciding with high tides and also discharge from dams led to various regions… getting inundated,” the Maharashtra government said in a press release.
Eleven people, including eight Nepalese workers, onboard a bus had a narrow escape as they were rescued in the nick of time before the bus was swept away in Kolhapur district on Friday according to police officials.
Apart from Raigad district, landslides were also reported in Ambeghar and Mirgaon villages in Satara during Thursday night.
Rescue teams of the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and other agencies are already in the state to assist the relief work. Six teams of the Indian Army and Navy are expected to join the rescue work today.
The Maharashtra government has declared a compensation of ₹ 5 lakh each to the families of those who lost their lives. The injured will be treated in hospitals at government expense, the statement from Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s office said.
Heavy rains since the last two days have caused massive floods in Raigad, Ratnagiri, Palghar, Thane, Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, Sangli, and Satara districts.
The India Meteorological Department, or IMD, has issued a red alert for six districts that have been already affected by the downpour, forecasting “extremely heavy” rainfall and recommending preventive measures.
Maharashtra has seen series of destructive flooding and landslides during the monsoon season, and often experiences poorly constructed roads and building crashes during the monsoons with incessant rain.