Pune: The Pune Divisional Commissioner office has informed that 2300 houses were damaged in the heavy rains and floods reported from the Western Maharashtra region since Wednesday (October 14) evening. The heavy rains have caused damage to lakhs of hectares of crop in the state while claiming 47 lives so far.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar took a review of the flood situation in western Maharashtra on Friday. He asked the administration to prepare the 'panchnama' (inspection reports) of the damaged crops, houses and other properties immediately.
Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar also told media persons that farmers mostly from Pune, Satara, Sangli and Solapur districts have suffered huge crop damage. Crops like sugarcane, soybean, vegetables, rice, pomegranate and cotton from Pune, Solapur, Satara and Sangli districts have suffered most damage. Wadettiwar has asked the central government to provide compensation to farmers who have lost their livelihood.
More than 21 thousand people were evacuated and moved to safer places by the administration in western Maharashtra. 28 deaths were reported from the western Maharashtra region including 14 from Solapur, 9 from Sangli, four from Pune and one from Satara. 16 deaths from central Maharashtra and three deaths from coastal Konkar region were reported so far.
Administration officials said, thirteen talukas in Aurangabad division had heavy rainfall of more than 65 mm in 24 hours which caused flooding and damaged houses as well as crops over 4,99,648 hectares. Crops over 1,36,176 hectares were damaged in Osmanabad district and 1,10,685 hectares in Nanded district between October 12 and 15, the official said.
About 326 houses were damaged in Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts while five cattle died. Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts have reported one death each due to the heavy rains.
