Maharashtra rains: Shinde govt must announce financial package for affected farmers, says Vijay Wadettiwar

Vijay Wadettiwar. Pic/X

Senior Maharashtra Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Thursday said the Eknath Shinde government must immediately announce a financial package for farmers who have suffered crop losses due to heavy rains lashing the state, reported news agency PTI.

Crops on thousands of hectares have been destroyed due to heavy rains, the Leader of Opposition in the assembly said in a statement amid Maharashtra rains.

East Vidarbha, Kolhapur, Raigad and Pune, including Pune city, Bhor Velha, Maval, Haveli have seen heavy rain, while the condition in Mulshi taluka's Khadakvasla is serious, he said, reported PTI.

In Pune and Mumbai, people living in dilapidated buildings must be shifted to safety, while steps must be taken to provide relief to citizens in Chandrapur, Gadchiroli and Wardha districts in east Vidarbha, Wadettiwar added, reported PTI.

He urged people to not venture out into accident prone areas amid Maharashtra rains.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday said if the need arises, the rain-hit people will be airlifted in Pune, where incessant downpour has claimed four lives and inundated residential colonies and houses in low-lying areas, reported PTI.

Shinde said he has spoken to the Pune district collector and civic body chiefs in the city and its neighbouring Pimpri Chinchwad, an industrial township.

He has also spoken to officials of the Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to seek their help in the evacuation, reported PTI.

"If the need arises, we have told them to airlift people. There is no need to worry," the chief minister said, reported PTI.

He said he has directed the administration to stay on alert mode and make necessary arrangements and ensure there is no loss of life.

Shinde said he was keeping an eye on the situation and has spoken to Deputy Chief Minister and Pune Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar, who is also monitoring the situation from the control room in the Mantralaya, the state secretariat in Mumbai.

Three men died in Pune city early on Thursday while they were trying to move their handcart, submerged in water in Deccan area, to a safer place, while one person died in a landslide in Tamhini ghat section in Mulshi tehsil, officials said.

Several low-lying areas in the city got inundated due to the rainwater and the local authorities have launched operations to evacuate the stranded people.

(With inputs from PTI)