Evacuation of people from hilly areas of rain-ravaged Konkan on: Maharashtra CM

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said people residing in hilly and landslide-prone areas of the rain-ravaged Konkan region are being evacuated and expressed grief over the loss of lives in a landslide in Raigad district.

He appealed to people to cooperate with the local administration in the evacuation process in vulnerable areas in the coastal region, a statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said.

Thackeray asked people to be alert in the backdrop of the IMD forecasting heavy rains in the next two days in several parts of the state. He said the local administration should work in coordination for smooth relief and rescue operations in the rain-devastated areas.

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The chief minister visited the disaster management authority control room in Mantralaya (state secretariat) in south Mumbai and took stock of the situation arising out of downpour and flooding in Konkan and western Maharashtra.

Thirty people have died in a landslide near a village in coastal Raigad district of Maharashtra, police said on Friday.

Heavy rains since the last two days have caused massive floods in Raigad, Ratnagiri, Palghar, Thane, Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara districts.

Due to discharge of water from the Koyna dam in western Maharashtra, an alert has been sounded in Sangli and Kolhapur districts.

The chief minister asked the authorities to ensure distribution of food, water, medicines and clothes to the people displaced by floods and heavy rains, the statement said. He said the flood-affected districts of western Maharashtra top the list of coronavirus cases and rescue operations there should be done by adhering to Covid-19 protocols, especially use of face masks.

As many as 14 NDRF teams have been deployed in the affected areas, the chief minister said. He said 500 people have been rescued in Chiplun in Ratnagiri district and four relief centres have become operational in the coastal town, around 250 km from Mumbai. Also, 22 people stranded on the Kolhapur-Panhala road due to incessant rains have been rescued, the CM added.