Flood-battered Kolhapur, Sangli limping back to normalcy

Life is slowly inching back to normalcy in flood-ravaged Kolhapur and Sangli as flood waters have receded in these districts of Maharashtra and the key rivers there are now also flowing below the danger mark, officials said on Wednesday.

Till Tuesday, 6.45 lakh people were shifted to safer locations in Kolhapur and Sangli, which have been the worst affected by flooding following heavy rains in western Maharashtra and Konkan region.

"In Kolhapur, life is inching back to normalcy as the relief measures and work to restore various services are going on in full swing," an official at the collectorate said.

The situation in Shirol tehsil, which was severely affected by floods, has also improved as maximum help is being provided there, he said.

On Wednesday morning, the water level of the Panchganga river at Rajaram weir inKolhapur was at 42.11 feet, marginally below the danger line of 43 feet, he said.

"Till Tuesday, carcasses of 150 animals were disposed using scientific methods to prevent health hazards," he said.

In Sangli also, the flood waters have receded and the Krishna river is flowing below the danger mark.

"At 6 am on Wednesday, the Krishna river's water level at Irwin bridge was at 41.9 feet against the danger mark of 45 feet," an official at the Sangli collectorate said.

Till Tuesday, 49 deaths were reported in flood-related incidents in five western Maharashtra districts of Sangli, Kolhapur, Pune, Satara and Solapur, divisional commissioner Dr Deepak Mhaisekar earlier said.

The state government has been banking on discharge of water from the downstream Almatti dam on the Krishna river in neighbouring Karnataka for the flood situation to ease.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the state government will seek an assistance of Rs 6,813 crore from the Centre - Rs 4,708 crore for Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara and Rs 2,105 crore for Konkan, Nashik and rest of Maharashtra.

He said a cabinet sub-committee headed by him will discuss changing rules for rescue, relief and rehabilitation, while an expert committee will be appointed to suggest action plan in case of excessive rainfall, like 700 per cent in four days (that parts of western Maharashtra witnessed recently).