INDIA: Army deployed in western Maharashtra state as floods worsen

In India's western Maharashtra state the army was called in to evacuate villagers in Sangli district as heavy monsoon rains forced thousands to evacuate their homes, officials said on Sunday (July 30). A flood alert has been sounded and the army deployed in low-lying areas of Maharashtra. "We have got a column here, and we have adequate boats and medical team…and we have spoken to the civil administration. We will go to the most critical places, one is Valva and the other is Wadi," Indian army official Colonel Ravi Kumar said in Sangli. Major rivers have risen to alarming levels and inundated their catchments, leading to massive rescue and relocation operations at 12 locations. A high level emergency meeting of the provincial government officials and ministers was called on Sunday to take stock of the situation and chalk out a plan of action in view of forecasts of further rain. Water entered residential and commercial areas in the outskirts of provincial capital Mumbai as life came to a near standstill. Rail service, the lifeline of Mumbai, was badly hit as floodwater submerged tracks in several places. A year ago, two days of heavy rain showed up the pathetic infrastructure and dismal emergency response in Maharashtra's capital Mumbai, India's richest city. The floods had killed hundreds of people then and closed down the city for nearly a week. In neighbouring Gujarat heavy monsoon rains have killed at least 12 people and forced thousands to evacuate their homes and move to higher ground. The deaths were due to drowning, lighting strikes and building collapses, they said. More than 15,000 villagers have been affected since Friday (July 28) in the southern and central regions of one of India's most prosperous and industrialised states. "Since 3 last night, water entered our homes, we have been sitting out and haven't slept all night. Milk and other provisions haven't come here today...there are a lot of problems," a flood victim said. Police have been asked to be on alert to help in more evacuations as several rivers were close to bursting their banks. Rail traffic between Gujarat's main Ahmedabad city and Mumbai has been affected due to flood waters covering rail tracks. Last year, floods in Gujarat killed at least 56 people and left more than 65,000 people homeless. Every year, monsoon rains, which are vital for India's agriculture and overall economic growth, kill hundreds of people and destroy many houses and damages crops.

ITN Source | July 31, 2006

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