Maha govt permits district funds to be used for flood relief work

Mumbai, Sep 29 (IANS) The Maharashtra government, on Monday, issued a notification allowing five per cent per cent of funds from the District Planning and Development Council (DPDC) for the relief work related to floods, officials said. 
 

The maximum limit for expenditure during such a crisis can be 10 per cent with approval from the district planning committee.

These works include rescue and relief work, providing shelter and food-water to them, providing fodder to cattle, cleaning work in flood-affected areas and temporary repair works.

Each DPDC receives a certain amount of funds every year to be spent on developmental schemes, which is meant to decentralise the decision-making and priorities projects at district level.

For the year, the amount is around Rs 20,000 crore.

Around 10 per cent of the amount will now be available for the flood-related relief work.

On Tuesday, the Maharashtra Cabinet is likely to announce a compensation package to the flood-affected farmers.

Three days of incessant rains in Marathwada and other parts of the state have affected nearly 28 lakh hectare under various crops.

In July-August, heavy rainfall caused damage to crops on around 15.45 lakh hectare.

The total damage to the area under Kharif season in the last three months is nearly 43 lakh hectare, which is around 30 per cent of the total kharif crop (excluding sugarcane) for 2025-26.

Opposition parties, including Congress, NCP-SP and Shiv Sena-UBT, have already demanded a special Assembly session to discuss the flood and subsequent relief measures.

As heavy rainfall ongoing from last two to three days halted on Monday, the state administration continued to discharge the water from dams like Jayakwadi, Sina-Kolegaon, Ujani, Gangapur, Girana and other rivers.

Earlier, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Monday, reviewed the flood situation in Marathwada and the discharges from various dams across the state.

On Sunday evening, the Chief Minister interacted with the local administration and the Water Resources Department and ordered all concerned district collectors to keep their machinery on alert.

Chief Minister Fadnavis said, "The discharge of 1,88,000 cusecs is ongoing from the Jayakwadi Dam. Fortunately, since the rain has stopped, there is no need to increase the discharge now. This water will reach Nanded by Monday evening. The discharge of 29,400 cusecs is occurring from the Yeldari Dam, and it is fully under control. The floods in the Manjara and Terna rivers have now receded. The situation in western Maharashtra is under control. Discharge of 75,000 cusecs is occurring from Ujjani, and 80,000 cusecs discharge is happening from Sina-Kolegaon."

"Due to the discharge from Jayakwadi, around 10,000 people from various villages in Jalna district have been relocated to safe places, and among them, 6,870 citizens have been accommodated in arrangements made at district council schools and various community temples. These citizens are from Partur, Ambad, and Ghanasawangi. Food and all facilities are being provided to them. Such residential arrangements have been made at 23 locations. The livestock of many farmers has also been moved to safe places, and fodder is being provided to them," he added.

The Chief Minister said: "In Nashik, discharge of 11,000 cusecs is occurring from Gangapur dam, and 10,000 cusecs discharge is ongoing from Mula Dam. The rain has now decreased. Discharge from the Jayakwadi dam into the dams in Nashik and Ahmednagar areas has been controlled from 87,000 to 68,000 cusecs. In Jalgaon district, discharge of 54,500 cusecs is ongoing from Girna dam, and 65,800 cusecs discharge is ongoing from Hatnur Dam. All rivers in Konkan are below the warning level."

Meanwhile, the All India Kisan Sabha, on Monday, criticised the state government for neglecting the plight of family members of Pandit Sontakke, a farmer from Wahegaon in Nanded district, who committed suicide after his four acres of crop was destroyed in the floods.

Ajit Nawale, AIKS National Joint-Secretary, said that no representative from the state government has checked on the family of Sontakke.

--IANS

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