27 labourers stranded in flooded area in Akola rescued

Twenty seven labourers stranded due to flooding caused by sudden rise in the water level of Chandrika river in Akola district of Maharashtra following heavy rains, were rescued, an official said on Friday.

The labourers, roped in by the forest department, had gone to plant saplings near Deori village on Thursday morning when they got stuck there due to flooding. All of them were moved to safety by late evening, the official said.

"The forest department has roped in the labourers, all from Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh, to carry out the task of planting saplings on its vacant plots. When they began the plantation work on Thursday morning, there were no signs of flooding," forest department official A N Bawne said.

"However, due to heavy rains, the water level of the Chandrika river, which flows on the one side of the plot, and Karkam nullah on the other side, suddenly rose, which created flooding in the area. Due to this, the labourers were marooned," he added.

They raised an alarm, after which the local villagers alerted the forest department officials and the district authorities.

"Personnel of the Sant Gadge Baba Emergency Squad, a voluntary group involved in disaster management, arrived at the spot. Assisted by the villagers and the forest department, the squad rescued the labourers in an operation that lasted for around two hours," the official said, adding that it got over by 7.30 pm.

Deepak Sadaphale, chief of the Sant Gadge Baba Emergency Squad, said that members of the rescue team moved the stranded labourers to safety by carrying them on shoulders.