Pune: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his cabinet colleagues on Wednesday visited flood-hit areas across Solapur, Latur, Dharashiv and Nanded districts to assess damage caused by incessant rains, with the government assuring farmers of compensation before Diwali and promising relaxation of payout norms.
Watch Videos:
Fadnavis inspected Nimgaon and Darphal Sina villages in Solapur’s Madha taluka, where crops, livestock, homes and businesses have suffered extensive losses. He also visited Ujani in Ausa taluka and Aurad Shahjani in Latur district, reaffirming that the government would “keep all criteria aside” while providing aid. “Every affected citizen will receive assistance. A relief package of more than Rs 2,200 crore has already been approved, and more aid will follow if needed,” he said.
The CM stated that financial support will extend to agricultural losses, damaged homes, food supplies, roads, schools, power infrastructure, and businesses. He also promised reconstruction of damaged bridges and roads. Referring to waterlogging in parts of Latur due to the Manjra-Terna river confluence, he suggested constructing barrages to prevent future flooding. Compensation disbursal, he added, is being streamlined to ensure aid reaches farmers swiftly.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde toured Dharashiv district in Marathwada, where unprecedented rains have claimed at least eight lives, marooned villages, damaged houses, and flattened crops on more than 30,000 hectares. “This is a major calamity. People have lost almost everything. While helping the flood-hit farmers, we have to relax some conditions,” Shinde told reporters, adding that NDRF and defence personnel have rescued and airlifted several people.
Shinde, accompanied by Shiv Sena leader Tanaji Sawant, also interacted with farmers and citizens. He said work on restoring the power supply has begun on a war footing. Sawant hit out at opposition leaders for accusing the government of insensitivity, urging all parties to extend support to the affected instead of politicising relief efforts.
Another Deputy CM, Ajit Pawar, toured Karmala taluka of Solapur district. Interacting with farmers, he assured immediate assistance, stating, “Due to continuous heavy rainfall, there has been significant damage to crops. I went to the fields, inspected the situation, and gathered information about the losses.”
In Nanded, heavy rainfall and overflowing rivers led to flooding in several low-lying areas. Authorities said hundreds of people were shifted to safer places after the Godavari and Asna rivers crossed danger levels. For the first time in 25 years, all 16 gates of the Vishnupuri dam, which supplies drinking water to the city, were opened, releasing over 2.5 lakh cusecs. Officials warned discharge could rise to three lakh cusecs.
Floodwaters entered localities including Govardhan Ghat, Nav Ghat, Degloor Naka, and Vasrani, damaging homes, roads, and farmland. Alerts have been issued to villages along riverbanks, while police have been deployed to maintain order. Backwaters from the Godavari inundated thousands of hectares of farmland, destroying standing crops.
Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne said Nanded district has borne the brunt of the September downpour. The IMD has placed the district under a yellow alert, predicting thunderstorms with lightning, light to moderate rainfall and gusty winds till September 26, and heavy rainfall on September 27.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
