NASHIK: The death toll in the flash floods at the Chalisgaon taluka of Jalgaon has increased to two with the police recovering another body on Wednesday.
Inspector Sanjay Thenge of Chalisgaon rural police said the deceased, Ramesh Gaikwad, lost his balance and slipped while trying to cross a bridge at Eklahare village. He was swept away in the flood water.
“He had gone to a local maket. He, however, did not return at night. We recovered his body on Wednesday morning,” Gaikwad added.
The flash flood has left a trail of destruction in the taluka. Chalisgaon MLA Mangesh Chavan, who visited Gaikwad’s village this morning, said the body was found about 500m from the bridge near a small reservoir. On Monday, a 60-year-old woman was washed away in the flood water.
The initial assessment of the district administration indicates that the standing crops of cotton and maize on over 16,000 hectare has been damaged in the taluka. Over 1,000 head of livestock were lost.
About 800 houses in Chalisgaon town and 300 in rural areas were either partially or fully damaged. Goods kept in about 300 shops in the town were damaged as water entered these commercial establishments.
As many as 32 villages were impacted in Chalisgaon taluka and six in Pachora and Bhadgaon talukas.
District collector Abhijit Raut told TOI that the district administration has sent an initial report about the damages to the state government. The final one would be sent within the next two days.
Local authorities at Chalisgaon said that the flood waters have receded and a major-clean up task has started. “We have over 270 people at the four relief centres since their homes were heavily damaged. There was not much rain later and the water levels of the two rivers have also gone down,” said Chalisgaon tehsildar Amol More.
