Kolhapur district put on flood alert as Panchganga river overflows

The Kolhapur district of Western Maharashtra that borders Karnataka, has been put on high alert with the Panchganga river flowing over the flood line at several places.

Movement on nine state highways and two dozen roads in the Kolhapur district were affected because of rainfall since the last three days.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray reviewed the situation in Kolhapur, that along with the neighbouring district of Sangli, saw massive floods in July-August, 2019.

Four teams of NDRF have reached Kolhapur and are assisting the district administration in flood relief work.

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Kolhapur district collector Daulat Desai has asked people to be evacuated from the low-lying areas to safer locations.

The Panchganga river is flowing at 41.2 feet whereas the alert level is 39 feet and the danger mark is 43 feet, according to the State Disaster Management Authority.

Thackeray asked Konkan and Pune divisional commissioners to focus on overflowing rivers in Kolhapur, Raigad, Ratnagiri and shift local residents to safer places in view of flooding of rivers.

Relief and rehabilitation minister Vijay Wadettiwar visited the Mantralaya control room and took a review of the ground situation in the Konkan region and the Western Maharashtra districts of Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara.

The Gaganbawda, Shirol tehsil has been receiving heavy rainfall since the last two days. “The Panchganga river is the immediate cause of concern now, people need to be safe,” Wadettiwar said.

According to the IMD-Mumbai, heavy to very heavy rains is expected in Kolhapur district for the next 24 hours.

"For the last couple of days, the district is witnessing 150 mm rainfall every day which is leading to an increase in the level of the Panchganga,” Desai said, adding that around 90 weirs in the district have gone under water.

The Sangli district administration also asked the people living on the banks of the Krishna and Warna rivers to stay alert.

Kolhapur’s guardian minister Satej Patil, visited several flood-affected areas and assessed the situation and directed the administration to remain alert and prepared for any flood-like situation in the district.