Chiplun floods are partly a man-made disaster, says Ratnagiri collector
(Sourced from PTI)
Incessant showers in the hilly regions of Ratnagiri district, illegal constructions near the Vashisthi river bed, and discharge of water from the Kolkewadi dam have all combined to cause havoc in the coastal town of Chiplun, officials said on Thursday as the administration sought help from multiple agencies in rescue efforts. More than 50 percent area of Chiplun has got submerged in floodwaters.
The dam water (from Kolakewadi), extremely heavy rainfall and illegal constructions in and near the river bed all have contributed to the current situation. It is partially a man-made disaster, BN Patil, District Collector of Ratnagiri said. "Once floodwaters recede, I'll look into the issue of illegal constructions near the river bed," Patil added. More than 200 people have been rescued from flood-hit areas.
Patil called teams of the NDRF, Coast Guard, the Navy, and the Army to undertake rescue operations. "I have requested six additional teams of the NDRF apart from the earlier two. The Coast Guard is already helping, while the Indian Navy is sending its teams Friday morning. I have also requested the Indian Army to deploy its columns to undertake rescue operations," he said.
Late in the night, NDRF teams started rescue operations. We have also started distributing food packets to people who have moved to second or third floors of multi-story buildings, Patil said. The Mumbai-based Western Naval Command confirmed receiving a request from the Maharashtra government to send rescue teams. Five teams of the Indian Navy reached Chiplun on Friday morning.
Each Indian Navy team has approximately five persons and one boat, which will be able to rescue 5-7 adults at a time. "If required, we will send more teams," said an Indian Navy spokesperson. KS Hosalikar, a senior scientist at IMD, Pune, said, "Latest radar images indicate very intense clouds over parts of the Raigad-Roha, Satara-Mahabaleshwar regions and parts of Ratnagiri and Dapoli."
