Heavy rains have once again brought life to a standstill in parts of Maharashtra, especially in the Marathwada region. On Sunday, Nanded district’s Mukhed tehsil recorded 206 mm of rainfall, leading to floods that left several villages cut off and at least five people missing.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the sudden rise in the water level of the Lendi dam had worsened the situation as excess water flowed in from nearby areas of Latur, Udgir and Karnataka. Villages like Ravangaon, Bhaswadi, Bhingeli, and Hassanal have been badly affected.
According to the district administration, 225 people in Ravangaon were trapped in floodwaters. Many of them have already been rescued, while efforts continue to shift the remaining villagers to safer locations. In Hassanal, eight villagers were evacuated, while in Bhaswadi, 20 people who were stranded are safe. In Bhingeli, nearly 40 residents are stuck due to flooding but all of them are safe as per officials.
Unfortunately, five people in Mukhed remain missing and search teams are working to find them. The Chief Minister said that he is constantly in touch with the district collectors of Nanded, Latur and Bidar, who are coordinating the relief and rescue operations.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), local police and the Army have been deployed to tackle the crisis. An Army unit has also moved from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to provide additional support.
The floods have affected not just Nanded but also other districts in the region.
In Udgir (Latur district), Borgaon village saw severe waterlogging, and reports suggest that several animals, including goats, bulls and buffaloes, drowned in the rising waters. In Parli tehsil of Beed district, a car was swept away in the floods. While local residents managed to rescue three of the four passengers, one person is still missing.
Meanwhile, Mumbai too is facing the brunt of the monsoon. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the city, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall. Waterlogging across several parts of Mumbai on Monday led to traffic jams and delays in train services during office hours. Santacruz recorded 99 mm of rainfall in just 24 hours, while Colaba registered 38 mm. Meteorologists have predicted that the heavy rains are likely to continue over the next few days.
CM Fadnavis has assured that all necessary measures are being taken. “Our priority is to rescue stranded citizens and provide them safety. We are working with district authorities and central agencies to ensure quick relief in the flood-affected areas,” he said.