Each flood-hit family in Maharashtra will get Rs 5000 in cash in person while rest of the financial assistance will be deposited in their respective bank accounts, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday.
The demand for making part payment in cash has been raised from various quarters given that the economy of the western Maharashtra belt is largely dependent on income from milk, vegetables and other small-scale services. However, due to floods the collection of milk at various dairies has been severely affected.
Fadnavis, who has cancelled his scheduled Russia tour beginning Monday, reviewed the relief and rehabilitation work at the state-level disaster management cell in Mantralaya here on Sunday.
"The government has already announced a financial assistance to the flood-hit people of which Rs 5,000 will be given to the each affected family in person while rest will be deposited into their respective bank accounts," said the chief minister.
Kolhapur and Sangli districts have been battling unprecedented floods since the last seven days. The floods were triggered by huge release of water from dams in western Maharashtra and Almatti in Karnataka.
Thane, Pune, Nashik, Palghar, Ratnagiri, Raigad and Sindhudurg districts had also received heavy rains.
Around 3.78 lakh people were so far evacuated from the worst-hit Kolhapur and Sangli districts where water began to recede slowly on Saturday.
The enormity of the flood situation can be gauged from the fact that Sangli district had received 785 per cent of average rain in just nine days in comparison to the 2005 floods when the district had received 217 per cent of average rainfall in a month.
Similarly, Kolhapur had received 480 per cent rain in just nine days compared to 159 per cent quantum in 2005.
Meanwhile, Fadnavis also directed the administration to initiate a slew of measures, including construction of a new airport in Kawlapur of Sangli district, which can be used in the event of a calamity like flood.
He also directed officials to submit proposals to construct flyovers on existing submerged roads in Kolhapur and Sangli districts.
As on Sunday, 91 roads in Kolhapur and 66 in Sangli are under water which has affected communication with villages in both the districts.
There are 33 roads in Solapur and five in Satara which are also submerged due to excess rains.
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