Shower alarm amid rescue operation

AURANGABAD: People living on the banks of the Godavari and its tributaries in Latur, Nanded, Beed and Parbhani among other areas in the Marathwada region were badly affected by Saturday's floods.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams were summoned in the worst affected areas for rescue operation. Several people were stranded in the floodwaters in Nanded as parts of Marthwada received heavy rain for the past 36 hours ending Saturday evening.
Two bridges were washed away in Latur district, disconnecting several villages, while a small dam in Beed district developed a breach.
A small dam at Waghdarwadi village in Ambejogai taluka of Beed district developed a breach by Saturday morning. The road connectivity of village to nearby areas was cut off due to mishap, officials said.
Incidentally, Marathwada, which was reeling under drought a few weeks ago, witnessed a flood-like situation in half of the region for the second time within a gap of less than a week.
The flood conditions in some areas are likely to worsen further with the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting showers during further next 24 hours.
Latur district disaster management officer Saqueb Osmani said 16 people were rescued from two separate places in Ahmedpur and Renapur taluka. Around 15 more people have been still stranded in flood water in Latur taluka with rescue operation on. People living on the banks of Manjra and Tawarja rivers have been sounded high alert, he said.
Nanded district collector Suresh Kakani said two helicopter that were called in to air-lift 23 people stranded in Dongargao village in Loha talua were sent back due to bad weather. All those who are stranded are safe and rescue operation is on. The district administration will be taking help of NDRF teams to battle out natural crisis in addition to our own rescue machinery, he said.