Goa Coast Guard, navy helicopters deployed to relocate flood-affected Kolhapur residents

The Kolhapur district administration has deployed one helicopter of Goa Coast Guard and Indian Navy’s three helicopters in Sangli and Kolhapur districts to airlift flood-affected residents.

Guardian minister Chandrakant Patil and irrigation minister Girish Mahajan visited National Highway 4 (Mumbai-Bengaluru) on Wednesday morning and met residents affected by flood in Kolhapur district.

“A team of 22 people, two boats and a helicopter from Goa Coast Guard arrived on Wednesday morning. Teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the army started providing relief to flood victims by boats since morning. At least 11,432 families from 204 villages have been relocated to safe places,” said Daulat Desai, Kolhapur district collector, adding that Indian Navy has agreed to provide 14 water boats for rescue work. Out of four NDRF’s water boats, two have have been sent to Shirol taluka, one for Ichalkaranji-Hatkanangale area and one for Kolhapur city.

Prayag-Chikhali and Longhe (Gaganbawada) villages were disconnected and people were airlifted. At least 80 patients in Apple hospital (Kadamawadi) and 60 patients in Ashwini hospital near Kolhapur railway station where affected because of power outage. The relatives of Sangita Patil (29), who was pregnant and admitted in Apple hospital, were unable to reach the hospital because of flood situation.

At least 30 residents of Narsimha society in Kolhapur were stranded at the top floor of their housing society for more than last 24 hours. Unmesh Jagtap, the society’s chairman, posted message with location on social media seeking help.

According to the district collectorate, at least 204 villages in Kolhapur district were badly affected by floods and 51,785 people from 11,432 families have been relocated to safer places.

Kolhapur municipal corporation has relocated 3,453 people of 889 families, along with 107 pets and animals, to safer places. 545 families have decided to move to their relatives’ placed.

Patil said, “At least 259 personnel of navy, army, NDRF and air force and their 31 water boats are deployed for rescue efforts. I request residents to not panic but follow instructions given district administration.”

On Wednesday, at 4 pm, the water level in Panchganga river touched 55.5 feet (43 feet flood level), the highest since the 53-foot mark recorded during the 2005 floods.

In Sangli, at 11 am on Wednesday, 31,783 people and 9,728 livestock of 6,526 families were temporarily relocated to safe places. Out of these, 17,719 people and 3,648 animals from 3,981 families have been temporarily rehabilitated in the district administrative camps and 14,064 people and 6,080 animals from 2,545 families have been temporarily rehabilitated to their relatives’ places.

Sangli district has received 481.8 mm of seasonal rainfall. The flood warning level of Sangli’s Irvine bridge built on Krishna river is 40 feet and the flood level is 45 feet. By 11 am on Wednesday, Krishna was flowing at 54.4 feet. Around 22 state highways, 29 major district roads were shut down by district administration on Wednesday. State transport department closed 20 major routes in the district. As a precautionary measure, state electricity department has closed power supply of 76,900 customers in Sangli.

Report from Pune airport

According to Amrut Natekar, deputy collector, Pune, a 11.15 am flight from Lohegaon (Pune) airport carried NDRF’s 15 members, two boats and material to Kolhapur. A 03:18 pm flight carried Indian Navy’s 24 members, four boats and material to Kolhapur. NDRF’s 12 members, two boats and material were flown to Kolhapur in a 03:35 pm flight.