Severe rains cause extensive damage to over 5.4 lakh hectares of crops, resulting in 8 fatalities in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra Battles Severe Flooding: Affected Districts, Casualties, and Ongoing Relief Efforts
Mumbai and several other districts in Maharashtra are currently grappling with severe flooding, causing widespread devastation and disruption to daily life. The Union Cabinet has approved an Online Gaming Bill, but the focus remains on the ongoing crisis.
Affected Districts and Areas
The floods have affected various districts, including Mumbai city itself and its suburbs such as Govandi and Mankhurd, Thane, Raigad, Palghar, and Navi Mumbai. Nanded in Marathwada has been the worst affected, with a severe cloudburst leading to deaths and extensive flood damage. Washim district has also suffered heavy crop damage.
Casualties and Evacuations
At least eight people have been killed in rain-related incidents, with five deaths reported from Marathwada due to floods and three in Mumbai due to waterlogging and other flood impacts. Over 1,000 residents, including 350 in Mumbai, have been evacuated to safer locations.
Ongoing Relief Operations
Schools, colleges, and government offices in Mumbai have been closed due to safety concerns and traffic disruption. Traffic across the city and surrounding areas is heavily affected by waterlogging, leading to congestion and accidents. Airlines such as IndiGo and Akasa Air have issued advisories urging passengers to check flight statuses amid disruptions. Municipal corporations are operating evacuation centers and providing food and shelter to displaced persons.
The Indian Army, in coordination with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Civil Administration, is leading relief operations in the inundated Hasnaal village of Nanded. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde have reviewed the situation and visited ground-zero locations in Mumbai and affected districts.
Crop Damage and Compensation
Preliminary data suggests that major kharif crops have suffered severe damage between August 14 and 17. Crops on 2,59,789 hectares of land were damaged in Nanded district, affecting crops like black gram (udid), green gram (moong), soybean, maize (makka), pearl millet (bajra), cotton, and pigeon pea (toor). An assessment of crop damage across Maharashtra is ongoing, with promises of compensation to affected farmers soon.
The floods are exacerbated by factors such as climate change, population density, land use changes, inadequate drainage, and extreme rainfall continuing in the region. A red alert has been issued for Mumbai, its suburbs, Thane, Ratnagiri, the ghats of Pune and Nashik, and Chandrapur for the next 12 hours.
In summary, Mumbai and adjoining districts in Maharashtra continue to grapple with heavy flooding affecting many wards and districts, large-scale evacuations, disruptions to transport and daily life, loss of lives, and severe damage to agriculture. Relief work is underway with evacuations, closures of institutions, and assessment and support for affected residents and farmers.
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