37 die in Maharashtra floods

At least 37 people have died in the week-long flood in Western Maharashtra, even as the massive rescue operation continued on Friday.

Maharashtra Chief Minster Devendra Fadnavis spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and apprised him of the ground situation.

Nearly 2.5 lakh displaced people from Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara districts have been shifted to various relief camps. Air-dropping relief material has started in the areas where floodwaters are receding.
The level of the Panchganga river has receded by 2 feet.

Daulat Desai, the Kolhapur collector said that 1,11,365 people from 23,889 families in 239 villages of the district have been shifted to relief camps.

The Kolhapur district administration is currently running 151 camps for the flood-affected people, the district collector said adding that 30 more boats were pressed into relief operations on Friday.

The Panchganga river is currently flowing at 53.5 feet while the flood line is at 45 feet. Around 2 lakh houses are without electricity, while in around 400 villages the water supply schemes need repairs.

In Sangli, as many as 76 boats are being used to carry out relief operations, while 8,000 food packets were airdropped at various villages across the district on Friday, said Sangli collector Dr Abhijit Chaudhari.

In Sangli, 1,34,363 people from 26,539 families in over 100 villages have been shifted to temporary shelters along with 30,692 cattle.

The water level in Sangli stands at around 54.7 feet but water is receding, the officer said. Here to the flood line is at 45 feet.

Water was also discharged from the Almatti dam in Karnataka. "Discharge from Almatti dam was 4,30,352 cusecs in the morning at 10 am. (50,000 cusecs more than the inflows). Now it is increased to 4,50,000 cusecs," Fadnavis said.

Meanwhile, 69,075 cusecs from Koyna in Satara and 7,356 cusecs was being discharged from Radhanagri in Kolhapur.