Maharashtra floods: Death toll at 43 as 80 per cent water recedes

Mumbai: With the recovery of three more bodies, the death toll in the Maharashtra deluge rose to 43 on Monday. Three people continue to be missing.

Meanwhile, flood-ravaged Kolhapur and Satara districts were once again on the edge after the meteorological department predicted yet another spell of heavy rainfall.

“Two bodies were found in Sangli; one was found in Kolhapur. Three people, who went missing in floods, have not been traced yet. Till now, 4,74,226 people have been moved to safer places. The weather department has predicted another spell of heavy rainfall in Kolhapur and Satara,” Deepak Mhaisekar, divisional commissioner of Pune, said.

According to officials, 80 per cent of floodwater had receded, but 12 villages in Sangli and 18 in Kolhapur were still submerged. It will take another day or two for the water to recede completely, they said.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai-Bengaluru National Highway (NH-4), which was closed since last seven days, finally opened for vehicular traffic on Monday.

Traffic movement was allowed between Kolhapur and Belgaum through one lane on Shiroli bridge of the six-lane NH-4, where thousands of vehicles were stuck after the busy highway was submerged in floodwaters last week.

“The water level has come down and Shiroli bridge can be used for vehicular movement. We have so far decided to open only one lane on either side of the national highway as a precautionary measure,” Kolh-apur’s Superintendent of Police Abhinav Deshmukh said.

“The highway has been opened for vehicles carrying essential commodities like food grains, fuel, medicines and milk. A portion of the highway is still submerged but we decided to allow heavy vehicles to ply as Kolhapur city has been struggling to get essential commodities,” he added.

Mr Deshmukh dismissed rumours regarding cracks developing on a bridge located on the Panchganga river. He said that the team had inspected the bridge but only found an expansion gap. He also assured that a structural audit would be carried out before full resumption of traffic.

The water level at Panchganga river, which flows through Kolhapur, came down by almost one feet overnight, but was still flowing above the danger mark.

BMC to lead cleaning up of flood-hit districts

With floodwaters in Sangli and Kolhapur now receding, preventive and relief measures, including cleaning of garbage, disposing of dead animals and destruction of mosquito-breeding sites, will be of the utmost importance in bringing life back to normal.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), till Monday evening, sent around 500 staffers from departments including health, insecticide, solid waste management (SWM) and fire brigade for post-flood works.

Additionally, a team of 24, along with 30 doctors from Mumbai’s KEM and Sion hospitals, and pest control officers reached Sangli and Kolhapur on Monday evening, informed officials.

The civic body dispatched four quick response vehicles, 13 dumpers and seven JCBs to clear garbage, mud, debris and dead animals; 2,500 litres of insecticides; and five fogging machines, among other things.

“As the floodwater has started receding, avoiding diseases is a big challenge and disposing animal carcasses and destroying mosquito breeding sites are the utmost priorities. Some of the staff was sent two days back and more staff will be sent as required. Our teams will assist the collectors in areas where required”, said deputy municipal commissioner Ashok Khaire.

BMC officials said that many animals lost their lives in the floods and clearing their corpses would be very difficult. The carcasses will be buried.

The officials added that four different types of insecticides will be used to prevent spread of diseases including dengue, malaria, and diarrhoea.