10 killed in Maharashtra amid heavy rains; over 11,800 evacuated
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Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar/Mumbai (PTI): At least ten persons died in rain-related incidents across Maharashtra over 24 hours, and more than 11,800 were rescued from different parts of the state, officials said on Sunday.
According to the state disaster management department and other officials, four persons lost their lives in Nashik district, including three due to a house collapse, two each in Dharashiv and Ahilyanagar, and one each in Jalna and Yavatmal.
In Marathwada, one of the worst-hit regions, inflow into the Jayakwadi dam on the Godavari river has increased, prompting the authorities to open all its gates. About 7,000 persons were evacuated in Paithan of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar amid fears of flooding. Harsul circle in the district recorded 196 mm of rainfall over the last 24 hours.
Heavy rains lashed pockets of other districts in the Marathwada region, including Beed, Nanded, and Parbhani.
Mumbai has been witnessing heavy rains since Saturday night. On Sunday, intermittent heavy spells lashed the city and suburbs, with some areas recording more than 50 mm rainfall between 8 am and 1 pm, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.
The intensity of the rains reduced post-afternoon.
Vehicular and rail traffic, however, remained largely unaffected, with smooth movement reported from key underpasses and junctions, including Hindmata, Gandhi Market, Chunabhatti, and Malad, Dahisar, and Mankhurd underpasses.
The island city recorded an average rainfall of 47.47 mm, while the western and eastern suburbs received 53.61 mm and 37.92 mm of rain, respectively, during the five hours from 8 am to 1 pm.
Thane and Palghar districts near Mumbai recorded heavy rainfall over the last 24 hours. In Bhiwandi taluka in Thane, 262 persons from 71 families were rescued, said officials.
Rain-battered Marathwada received partial relief on Sunday, even as heavy rains soaked pockets of Beed, Nanded, and Parbhani districts.
In Beed, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescued 12 stranded residents from the Sangvi temple located in Aashti, while 970 persons living within the jurisdiction of Nanded Municipal Corporation were relocated to safer places.
The Godavari river is flowing in Nanded district at a water level of about 354 metres.
“The rain intensity reduced in Dharashiv from last night. So, we are now focusing on supplying aid to the affected families. Due to ongoing water discharge of 75,500 cusec from the Sina Kolegaon dam, areas in Paranda were inundated. But we have shifted 3,615 residents to safer locations”, a senior district administration official told PTI.
Excess rainfall was recorded in 189 revenue circles across six districts of the usually drought-prone Marathwada region, which comprises Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Dharashiv, Jalna, Beed, Latur, Nanded, Hingoli, and Parbhani districts.
The water discharge from Jayakwadi dam in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar increased to 2.92 lakh cusecs (cubic foot per second) at 10.30 pm. The water influx into the dam, the largest reservoir in Marathwada, has crossed 3 lakh cusecs, an official said.
The water level in the Godavari river crossed the warning mark in Nashik amid heavy rains. Some temples in the Ramkund area on the banks of the river in the city submerged, officials said. A total of 21 persons were rescued from flooded areas, said officials.
The weather department has issued a 'red alert', predicting heavy to very heavy rain accompanied by stormy winds in the district on Sunday and Monday. Heavy rains have also been forecast on Tuesday.
Minister Chhagan Bhujbal visited a few affected areas in the district and directed officials to carry out relief measures.
Currently, 16 NDRF teams have been deployed across Maharashtra, and two teams have been kept on standby in Pune headquarters, officials said.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reviewed the rainfall situation and ongoing relief operations in eight districts of Marathwada and Solapur, and directed officials to intensify field-level efforts.
Solapur in western Maharashtra has also witnessed heavy rains and crop damage.
With water discharge from dams being increased due to heavy rainfall, Fadnavis stressed the need to focus on evacuating people from vulnerable areas, a statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said on Sunday.
"All officials must remain on the ground and closely monitor relief and rescue operations," he said.
He reviewed the discharge situation of dams across the state and directed the Water Resources Department to coordinate closely with local administrations.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also reviewed the flood situation in many parts of the state and directed the emergency systems of Konkan region to maintain high readiness due to the 'red alert' for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad districts.
The Met department has forecast light to moderate rainfall in parts of Gondia district and very light to light rainfall in Nagpur, Wardha, and Bhandara districts in Vidarbha region.
Senior NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil, meanwhile, urged Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat to convene a special session of the legislature to discuss the rain and flood situation.
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar has appealed to the state government to urgently implement comprehensive relief and rehabilitation measures, stating that the ‘panchanama’ (damage assessment) process should not be restricted by rigid deadlines.
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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
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