Maharashtra: Four dead as heavy rains lash Marathwada region

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Heavy rains pounded the Marathwada region of Maharashtra over the past 24 hours ending at 9 am on Monday. Four people died in the Pathri village of Parbhani district, which recorded the highest rainfall of 314.5 mm, followed by Babhalgaon circle with 277 mm rainfall, officials said.

According to officials, 284 revenue circles in all the eight districts of Marathwada received heavy rainfall, exceeding 65 mm on Sunday, September 1. They added that normal life has been affected in the rural areas of the district owing to heavy rains, news agency PTI reported.

The wet spells in the region affected people in at least 63 villages, damaging some houses and crops on 45 hectares of land, as per a preliminary assessment by the state revenue authorities.

"At least four people and 88 animals lost their lives on September 1 amid rains. while 29 pucca and 135 kuccha houses suffered damage. Similarly, crops on 45.20 hectares of land belonging to 74 farmers from 18 villages were also affected," an official stated.

A bridge connecting Hingoli and Sengaon villages submerged underwater amid heavy rains in the region.

The gates of the Vishnupuri dam in Nanded were lifted on Monday morning to release water at the rate of 1.01 lakh cusecs, officials said.

An alert was also sounded for downstream villages along the Godavari river as the Jayakwadi dam water level rose. Water is being discharged at 700 cusecs from the right canal of Jayakwadi dam.

Water was also discharged from the Siddheshwar dam on Monday, even as the storage levels in 11 major projects rose to 71.44 per cent.

The Vishnupuri dam is full to the bream while the water storage in Jayakwadi reached 87.03 per cent.

Meanwhile, the water levels in Mumbai's seven reservoirs, which provide the city with drinking water, have reached 96.93 per cent, as reported by the civic body on Monday.

According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) data, the collective water stock in Mumbai lakes is currently at 14,02,999 million litres, which is 96.93 per cent of capacity.

Mumbai draws water from Tulsi, Tansa, Vihar, Bhatsa, Modak Sagar, Upper Vaitarna, and Middle Vaitarna.