Rains batter Odisha amid depression; flood situation grim in Maharashtra

Heavy rains battered several parts of Odisha on Wednesday (August 7), triggering flood-like situation and disrupting train services in some areas as the depression over Bay of Bengal intensified.

The IMD has predicted more heavy rainfall in Kerala and Odisha in the coming days. Mumbai and outskirts of Maharashtra will witness intense rainfall in the next 24 hours due to depression over the Bay of Bengal. The IMD has issued a red alert for Pune, Palghar and Raigad. Heavy rains are expected in Pune, Satara, Nashik, Kolhapur, Palghar and Thane districts till Thursday.

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) BP Sethi said torrential rainfall submerged vast areas in Malkangiri, Rayagada, Koraput, Kandhamal and Gajapati districts in south Odisha.

Floods affect 51,000 in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur, Sangli

The flood situation following incessant rains in western Kolhapur continued to remain grim, affecting nearly 51,000 people and 200 villages and submerging over 340 bridges, officials said. Five rescue teams of the Navy were mobilised to provide assistance to those affected by heavy rains in Kolhapur and Sangli, a defence spokesperson said.

“Around 204 villages out of total 1,234 in Kolhapur have been affected due to the floods. Total 11,000 families, comprising nearly 51,000 individuals, are affected and 15,000 people have been shifted to safer places,” Shinde told PTI.

At least, 342 bridges have gone underwater and are closed for vehicular movement. Around 29 state highways and 56 main roads have also been shut. The Mumbai-Bengaluru National Highway No.4 and the Kolhapur-Ratnagiri highway (part of the Mumbai-Goa national highway) are still shut. The National Highway between Kolhapur and Belgaum was shut. Power supply to more than 85,000 people was suspended as a precautionary measure.

Navy and air force were deployed to help with the rescue operations as 50,000 people were evacuated in two districts. Over 45 boats have been deployed for the evacuation operations.

In addition to the NDRF team, 2 choppers were also deployed. The water level of Panchganga river crossed the danger mark of 49 feet and reached 52 feet on Tuesday. In addition, five Navy flood relief teams were prepared to be airlifted to affected areas from Mumbai.

Pune Divisional Commissioner Deepak Mhaisekar on Tuesday said the flood situation in Kolhapur and Sangli was “critical” as several rivers in the region were flowing above the danger mark. “Three villages in Kolhapur with 7,000 people have been cut off completely and efforts are on to evacuate them,” he said.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held cabinet meeting to review the flood situation in the state. He has asked Karnataka CM Yediyurappa to increase water discharge from the Almatti reservoir to control floods in Maharashtra. This will ease the flood situation in southern Maharashtra.

Also read: Monsoon flood fury follows drought in north Karnataka

North, west Karnataka face rain, flood fury

Rain-related toll in Karnataka has gone up to three, even as parts of north and coastal areas along with the Malnada region continued to reel under heavy downpour.

Situation continued to remain grim as the floodgates were opened in the dams in neighbouring Maharashtra and barrages and dams in Karnataka, where road and rail links remain affected.

While Belagavi, Bagalkote, Vijayapura, Raichur and Yadgir had been battered by the floods, torrential rains threw life out of gear in Udupi, Chikkamagaluru, Mangaluru, Kodagu, Hubballi-Dharwad, Karwar, Hassan and Shivamogga. Belagavi, Bagalkote and Yadgir bore the brunt of the heavy downpour and water released from dams on Krishna river and its tributories.

Government schools in Belagavi turned into rehabilitation centres where the flood-hit people shared their rooms with the livestock.

The swollen Bhadra river completely submerged the Hebbale bridge that connects Horanadu.

Release of water from Krishna and Koyana rivers in Maharashtra has already led to flood-like situation in northern Karnataka. Yediyurappa carried out aerial surveys in flood affected areas of the state.

The Maharashtra government has also asked the NDRF team in Goa to review the discharge from Tillari dam.

At least three wagons of a goods train derailed in Ambadola station and several trains have been cancelled or diverted due to heavy waterlogging on tracks, a railway official said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has asked officials to coordinate and provide relief efforts through the NDRF, the army, air force, coast guard and others.

(With inputs from agencies)