Uddhav Thackeray, Devendra Fadnavis visit flood-hit areas in Maharashtra

With last week’s floods claiming 48 lives and damaging standing crops spread across thousands of hectares in Maharashtra, the top leadership is camping in the affected places to provide relief to the poor.

While western Maharashtra has reported 29 deaths, Marathwada saw 16 and the coastal Konkan belt reported 3.

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar began his tour of affected areas on Sunday.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray made a whirlwind tour of the worst-affected Solapur district on Monday and will continue his tour for the next couple of days in other areas.

Speaking to reporters, Thackeray said that on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to him for a brief on the situation. “He had assured that all help will be extended…so we need not have to ask anything from the Centre,” he said.

Thackeray, however, refused to put any figure on the damages. “The damage has been extensive…assessments are being done, panchanamas are being done,” he said, adding that the IMD had forecast rains and we have to take all precautions. “We need to take all steps to ensure that human lives are not lost,” he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is touring the affected areas of the Pune district.

Thackeray said that he had met villagers who said that the monsoon pattern is unusual. “A 72-year-old villager told me that he had never seen such rains in his lifetime,” he said.

Thackeray was accompanied by Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat and Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar.

On the other hand, Leader of the Opposition in Assembly Devendra Fadnavis and his counterpart in Council Pravin Darekar too have commenced their tours.

“There has been a delayed response from the side of the government. Every now and then Pawar saheb has to defend the government…that has become an important work for Pawar saheb… after we (BJP) announced visits, the Guardian Ministers have started leaving Mumbai and are visiting the affected areas,” said Fadnavis.

Meanwhile, Pawar is expected to meet Modi in the next few days.

Pawar said that the state is left with no option but to borrow. "The state has no option but to take loans to help the flood-affected people. The state is facing a historic economic crisis. I will meet the chief minister to discuss the issue," Pawar said.

Asked about the BJP's criticism that the state government was looking at the Centre for help and not doing anything, Pawar said, "(Former Prime Minister) Atal Bihari Vajpayee did not see party affiliations when he appointed me the head of the disaster management authority because of the work done during the Latur earthquake (in 1923)."