Rain continued to batter Maharashtra’s Marathwada and Western Maharashtra on Tuesday (September 23, 3035), leaving dozens stranded in floodwaters. In the last four days, at least five people lost their lives, while over 150 villages were affected due to heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra cabinet has approved ₹2,215 crore to help 31.54 lakh farmers who were affected by the heavy rainfall.
The most affected districts in Maharashtra are Dharashiv, Beed, Solapur, and Ahilyanagar. The situation could be critical in the coming days as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rainfall for the next 48 hours. According to IMD, a fresh spell of heavy to very heavy rainfall over the areas of Madhya Maharashtra is very likely during September 25 to 29.
At least 18 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed across the region, while the Army has been mobilised in Solapur and the Dharashiv district for search and rescue (SAR) operations. “Around 320 people were rescued in the rescue operation since last night. The assistance is also extended to move domestic animals to safer locations,” said NDRF inspector Pankaj Chaudhary.
In the Sadas Chinchole area of Majalgaon tehsil and other regions in Beed, the NDRF team rescued 39 people, including a newborn baby and the mother trapped in rising floodwaters. 182 people were rescued from Dharashiv District’s Kapilapuri, Lakhi, Vadner, and other villages, where they were trapped inside their homes due to severe flooding. NDRF teams rescued 82 people in Solapur and 17 people in Ahilya Nagar District to safe locations. A team from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) evacuated 160 families, as per the CMO.
