Maharashtra: 53 killed in rain-related incidents in Marathwada region since June 1

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Fifty-three people have died in rain-related incidents in the Marathwada region since the beginning of the monsoon season till September 6 this year, an official said, quoting the revenue department figures, on Monday. Sixteen people have also sustained injuries in rain-related incidents.

As per a report shared by the revenue department, 1,269 animals have died in rains from June 1 till September 6 across Marathwada, the official said. A survey of the losses is underway in eight districts of the region, he added.

At least 284 revenue circles in isolated pockets of the drought-prone Marathwada region received heavy rains on September 1, reported news agency PTI.

Of the casualties, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nanded, and Latur districts recorded nine deaths each, followed by Parbhani with eight deaths, Beed with six, Jalna and Hingoli with five each and Dharashiv (two), the revenue department stated.

As many as 14 houses collapsed in the region, while 384 pucca and 2,423 kuccha houses faced partial losses amid rains in the past three months, the report stated.

Meanwhile, authorities have decided to lift six gates of the Jayakwadi dam in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district of Maharashtra on Monday afternoon to release water after continuous inflow in the reservoir, an official said.

The water stock in the Jayakwadi dam reached 97.3 per cent of the storage capacity in the morning owing to rain in catchment areas of the Godavari river in Maharashtra, the official told PTI.

The inflow of water is still on, hence the irrigation department has decided to lift six gates of the dam by six inches each. Water will be released at 3,144 cusec (cubic foot per second) into the Godavari river, the official said.

The water discharge may be increased or decreased based on the inflow. Currently, 500 cusec water was being released from the right canal of Jayakwadi towards the Majalgaon dam in Beed district of Maharashtra, an official said.

The water stock in 11 major reservoirs of the state's Marathwada region reached 85.39 per cent of the storage capacity on Monday, compared to 43.2 per cent on this day last year.

(With PTI inputs)