Maha monsoon mayhem: Death toll rises to 251

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar toured various rain-hit villages in Sangli district on Monday and assures all kinds of support to the flood affected.

Mumbai:The death toll in rain-related incidents in Maharashtra rose to 251 on Monday. So far, 2,29,074 persons have been evacuated from the affected areas, the government said in a statement.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar toured various rain-hit villages in Sangli district on Monday and used a rescue boat to reach out to flood victims in some areas.

Pawar also interacted with the flood-affected people and assured them of rehabilitation and all help from the state government.
State Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar and Minister of State Vishwajeet Kadam accompanied Pawar during his visit to the flood-battered Bhilwadi and other areas of the district. They used a boat to reach out to people affected by the monsoon mayhem in Bhilwadi.

According to the district administration, Pawar will hold a review meeting after taking stock of the situation. Meanwhile, the water level of the Krishna river at Irwin bridge was at 52.11 feet at 11 am, as against the danger mark of 45 feet, an official said.
The state government on Sunday said it has provided an emergency financial aid of Rs 2 crore each to Raigad and Ratnagiri districts. Satara, Sangli, Pune, Kolhapur, Thane and Sindhudurg, also affected by rains, were provided with a financial aid of Rs 50 lakh each.

Chie Minister Uddhav Thackeray will visit some of the rain-affected areas in Patan tehsil of Satara district on Monday.
The CM on Sunday visited Chiplun, the site of severe flooding in Ratnagiri district in the Konkan region, and interacted with residents, businessmen and shopkeepers. He promised them all help from the state government to restore normalcy in the area.
Thackeray had said they will require "central assistance for long-term mitigation measures" and comprehensive data of the extent of damages will be prepared.

Train traffic fully restored in ghat sections near Mumbai

Four days after suspension of train traffic on some routes near here due to heavy rains, all rail lines in the Thal and Bhor Ghat areas of neighbouring Thane, Nashik and Pune were restored on Monday morning, a Central Railway spokesperson said.
The Central Railway (CR) had suspended traffic at the Thal Ghat, which is also known as the Kasara Ghat, from 10.15 pm on July 21, while traffic at the Bhor ghat, popularly called the Khandala Ghat, was suspended at 12.30 am on July 22, following heavy rains, landslides, tree falls and mudslides at multiple locations.

The middle rail line at Thal ghat, located about 125 km from Mumbai on the border of Thane and Nashik districts, was declared safe at 6.50 am on Monday, CR's chief spokesperson Shivaji Sutar said. Besides, the up rail line at Bhor ghat, situated about 100 km from here on the border of Raigad-Pune districts, was declared safe for passenger traffic at 8 am on Monday, he said.

The middle line at the Thal Ghat and the up line at the Bhor ghat had suffered extensive damage due to the monsoon fury. Hence, it took a long time for opening these lines for passenger traffic, Sutar said.

The up and down rail lines at the Thal Ghat, and the down and middle lines at the Bhor Ghat were opened for traffic on July 22.
Both the ghats are among the most challenging sections due to their steep gradient. Trains going towards the north and eastern parts of the country from Mumbai pass through the Thal Ghat, while trains going towards the south move via the Bhor Ghat.

The CR also opened the Karjat-Khopoli railway line in Raigad district for traffic from July 25 afternoon, Sutar said. Due to flooding, the ballast and embankment below the track near Kelavali station on the route was washed away on July 22 after heavy showers.

Heavy rains last week caused floods and landslides in some areas of Maharashtra, including the deadliest landslide at Taliye village in the Raigad district.

PTI