2.5L people rescued from flood-hit areas in Maharashtra

Mumbai: Chief secretary Ajoy Mehta said Friday that the Maharashtra government has rescued more than 2.5 lakh people from flood-affected areas in the Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara districts.

Addressing a press conference at Mantralaya, Mr Mehta said 329 villages and an estimated one lakh hectares of farmland have been devastated by the deluge.

Stating that the government’s priority was to save lives, Mr Mehta announced that the Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 would be provided to each flood-hit family in rural and urban areas respectively and that Rs 156 crore had been allocated to district collectors for relief efforts.

Mr Mehta also said that 2,52,613 people have been temporarily housed in 304 relief camps and that the collectors had been given the power to make the necessary expenditure on food, water, medicine and other necessities. The chief secretary also said that 12,000 and 5,000 anti-venom vaccines have been sent to Kolhapur and to Sangli respectively.

Meanwhile, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the flood situation in the state and the latter assured him of all possible assistance from the Centre.

In a tweet, Mr Fadnavis said, “briefs Hon PM @narendramodi on #MaharashtraFloods situation. Hon PM took detailed information on the situation, rescue & relief measures and assured all assistance from Government of India (sic).”