Eight killed as heavy rains lash north Maharashtra, Marathwada

NASHIK/AURANGABAD: At least eight people were killed and severe damage to property was reported as heavy rains lashed north Maharashtra and Marathwada on Tuesday.
Seven casualties were reported in rain-related incidents in different parts of Marathwada. Aurangabad divisional deputy commissioner Parag Soman said Nanded district reported three deaths while Beed, Jalna and Latur districts reported one each.
Torrential rain triggered landslides at eight locations in the Kannad ghat area of Aurangabad district. A minitruck, with the driver and cleaner inside, plunged into the ghat. An NHAI official confirmed the driver was killed.
In Jalgaon's Chalisgaon, a 60-year-old woman was washed away along with more than 200 livestock and several vehicles in flash floods early on Tuesday. The woman was sleeping in her hut near the banks of the Dongri river when she was washed away. Her body was later found stuck to a tree branch.
Jalgaon district collector Abhijit Raut told TOI: “Ten villages in the taluka and parts of Chalisgaon town were either partly or fully inundated. A team of the state disaster response force (SDRF) shifted people to safer locations.”
The district administration is on alert as the IMD has forecast more rain in Jalgaon district over the next 24 hours.
Earlier in the day, nearly a dozen vehicles reported damage after being hit by rubble from landslides in the Kannad ghat area. The landslides also disrupted traffic movement on the Dhule-Aurangabad-Solapur highway. By evening, most of the stretch was cleared.
Authorities said many vehicles were stranded on the ghat section on NH 211 when the landslides struck within minutes of each other from 2am. The Dhule-Aurangabad-Solapur highway is a key route taken by goods vehicles from Rajasthan and Gujarat to reach the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions as well as several other southern states.
Raut, superintendent of police Pravin Munde and other senior officials visited the incident spot to take stock of the situation. Aurangabad district collector Sunil Chavan, Kannad police officers as well as Kannad MLA Udaysingh Rajput and others also carried out a spot inspection of the accessible sections.
Meanwhile, Nashik and Ahmednagar districts received good rainfall in the 24-hour period ending 8.30am on Tuesday. The IMD has warned of heavy rainfall in both districts in the next two days as well.
As per official data, Beed district reported the highest 75mm rainfall in the past 24 hours ending Tuesday morning, followed by Parbhani (40mm), Jalna (38mm), Nanded (37mm), Latur (34mm), Aurangabad (30mm), Osmanabad (24mm) and Hingoli (11mm). Eight districts of Marathwada have now received 638mm rainfall since June 1, which accounts for 124% of normal rainfall.
Weather experts have forecast that the current rainy season may get extended up to early December in Marathwada and other parts of the state.
The Water Resources Department in Nashik is keeping a close watch on the water levels in the dams, including Gangapur.
At present, the Gangapur dam is 90% full to capacity. The water levels in two other dams — Kashyapi and Gautami — are 66% and 77% respectively.