Nashik/Kolhapur: Four people from different places, who were
swept away
in
rivers
and rivulets between Monday and Tuesday, are yet to be found and are feared drowned. While in Sangli an elderly couple were swept away while crossing a barrage, a youth out for a swim was lost in Mausam river's currents in Malegaon. Moreover, a 45-year-old woman was also swept away in the Dhule taluka.
In Sangli, the elderly couple were swept away in the Yerala river while they were riding a two-wheeler across the
flooded barrage
on Monday afternoon.
The incident occurred between Tasgaon and Turchi villages on the Old Satara Road. A few eyewitnesses informed the Tasgaon police station. An NDRF team were deployed to search for the couple, but till Tuesday evening, the couple could not be traced. Their identities too are yet to be ascertained.
In Malegaon, a 20-year-old was swept away in the Mausam river on Monday evening. Personnel of the Malegaon fire brigade department deployed swimmers to trace the victim. However, till Tuesday afternoon, the youth was not found. Malegaon fire brigade officer Sanjay Pawar said two youths had gone for a swim in the river near the Dyane Farshi pool on Monday at 6.30 pm. One of them, identified as Ishtiyad, was swept away. "Soon as got the report, we went to the spot and started the search operation. The operation had to be stopped once it got too dark. The search resumed on Tuesday with eight swimmers," he said.
Another woman was swept away in the strong currents of a rivulet in Sakri taluka's Ashtane village in Dhule on Tuesday morning. According to resident deputy collector Nitin Gawande, four people were crossing the rivulet when they got swept away. "Three of them were rescued by the villagers, but a 45-year-old woman could not be found," said the officer.
Meanwhile, the Godavari water level started receding on Tuesday as the rain stopped. The water level, which was up to the chest of the Dutondya Maruti idol — a marker used to measure flood levels — throughout the day on Monday, dropped below the idol's knee by Tuesday evening.
Nashik
city received only 2.4mm rain between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm on Tuesday.
Moreover, water discharge from the Gangapur dam into the Godavari river too was reduced from 9,450 cusec on Monday night to 520 cusec on Tuesday evening. Businesses along the banks of the Godavari, near Goda Ghat and surrounding areas, remained partially affected as some of the traders had relocated their kiosks to safer places. The IMD has issued a forecast of moderate rainfall in Nashik district for the next three days, beginning Wednesday.
Recent heavy rain in the Koyna dam catchment areas increased the inflow into the dam to 41,265 cusec on Tuesday. The 105 TMC dam currently has 100.4 TMC water. At 5pm on Tuesday, the discharge of 10,000 cusec from the six radial gates of the dam started. With 2,100 cusec discharge from the powerhouse gates, a total of 12,100 cusec of water release is being released into the Koyna river, which is a tributary of the Krishna river. The riverside villagers have been requested to be on alert.
In the 24 hours ending 8am on Tuesday, the Koyna dam catchment areas in Satara received 136mm rainfall. Mahabaleshwar, meanwhile, received 142mm and Navaja got 139mm rainfall.
As per the district disaster management officials,
Kolhapur
district received 31.6mm rain till Tuesday at 10.30 am. Gaganbawda tehsil received the highest (70.6mm) while Shirol received the least (8.2mm).
Three automatic gates of the Radhanagari dam were also open, discharging 5,784 cusec into the Bhogavati River, a tributary of the Panchaganga river. Currently, 52 barrages in the district have water flowing over them. At 6pm on Tuesday, the Panchaganga water level was recorded at 34 feet 8 inches. The river's warning level in Kolhapur is 39 feet, while the danger mark is 43 feet.
Arti Bartakke, the deputy executive engineer of the Kolhapur irrigation department (north), said, "As per the information received from the Krishna Flood Control Action Committee, on Tuesday, inflow into the Almatti dam was 1,28,000 cusec while the discharge was at 1,25,000 cusec. Heavy rain in Kolhapur district has ensured that almost all the dams are 90% full. If the rain continues for 3-4 more days, then there is a possibility of heavy flooding in Kolhapur again. Therefore, we have written to the executive engineer of the Sangli irrigation department, requesting the department to discuss the matter with Karnataka govt and Almatti dam management, so that the discharge from the dam can be increased to 3,00,000 cusec."
Meanwhile, the weather office issued a yellow alert for Kolhapur and Satara districts on Wednesday with the probability of heavy rainfall at isolated places in the ghat areas.
