Maharashtra floods: 40,000 trucks struck, 1 lakh hectares of agricultural land affected

Maharashtra Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta informed that nearly 40,000 trucks are stuck on National Highway-4 and approximately 1 lakh hectares of agricultural land is affected due to flood.

"As flood water recedes, roads in Sangli and Kolhapur will be repaired immediately. Nearly 40,000 trucks are stuck on NH-4. Approximately, one lakh hectares of agricultural land has been affected due to flood, compensation will be given," said Ajoy Mehta.

"Government is carefully watching and monitoring the outbreak of any disease, the situation is under control. For water-borne diseases, we have asked for 1 crore chlorine tablets which are being distributed to the people. As floodwaters recede, tanker water will be supplied for drinking," he said.

As heavy rains continued to pound various regions of Maharashtra, twenty-nine people have lost their lives due to floods in Pune division so far.

Around 2.85 lakh people have been displaced due to floods in the state. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has rescued over 3,500 people in Kolhapur so far.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), Mumbai, has said that "there is a very likely enhancement of rainfall over parts of Konkan and central Maharashtra over the next two days".

Twenty-two rescue teams have been deployed in Kolhapur, comprising five teams of NDRF, 14 of the Navy, and one each of Coast Guard, Army and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). In Sangli, a total of 11 teams have been deployed in which eight are of NDRF, two of Coast Guard and one is of Army.

The state has demanded five more NDRF teams to tackle the wrath of floods.

On Thursday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis conducted an aerial survey of Sangli and Kolhapur to take stock of the situation. Ministers Chandrakant Patil, Girish Mahajan, and Eknath Shinde had accomped Fadnavis.

( With inputs from ANI )