Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had to cancel his visit to the flood-affected districts of western Maharashtra on Monday due to rough weather.
He was also scheduled to meet the affected people at a shelter camp set up at a zilla parishad school in Koynanagar.
Heavy rains last week caused landslides at Ambeghar and Mirgaon villages of Patan taluka. A 24x7 search and rescue operations and relief measures continued in Kolhapur and the neighbouring twin districts of Sangli and Satara, which are worst-affected by the mega-floods.
Thackeray spoke to officials and assessed the ground situation.
"So far, the floodwaters have not subsided and inclement weather persists. Hence, the relief work should be carried on with due precautions. Food, clothes, and medicines should be immediately provided to those affected,” the chief minister said.
Thackeray had visited Mahad in Raigad and Chiplun in Ratnagiri districts of coastal Konkan region on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
However, the chief minister is likely to visit Satara on Tuesday.
“Thackeray was on his way to visit the flood-affected areas of Satara district. However, his helicopter was unable to land at the Koyna helipad due to low visibility. It has hence returned to Pune Airport,” officials of the Chief Minister’s Office said.
The death toll in one of the worst-ever floods mounted to 192 even as around 25 persons are still reported missing. More than 1.94 lakh people have been rescued and taken to safer locations.
In a related development, Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari is expected to visit Raigad and Ratnagiri on Tuesday.
Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar visited the Sangli district and reviewed the situation. Pawar toured various rain-hit villages in Sangli district on Monday and used a rescue boat to reach out to flood victims in some areas.
Pawar, who was accompanied by water resources and command area development minister Jayant Patil, relief and rehabilitation minister Vijay Wadettiwar, minister of state for agriculture Vishwajeet Kadam, said that in the next couple of days, the chief minister will make an announcement on the relief measures.
“The government is with the people... we are committed to providing relief to the people,” said Wadettiwar.
Medical teams and medicine stocks have been dispatched to the flood-affected areas.
During the floods, 43 roads were submerged and bridge on the Vashishti river was damaged, official sources said.
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