Vanishing Flyover, Rooftops In Water At Maharashtra's Flooded Kolhapur

Only rooftops and trees are visible from a highway near Kolhapur in Maharashtra, which has been flooded for days after heavy rain that has completely cut off essential supplies and damaged thousands of homes.

The road to Kolhapur city has partly vanished under water. In visuals this morning, every building seen from a flyover just outside Kolhapur, including hotels, showrooms and a large godown, were in 10-feet deep water, with only their roofs visible.

A broken traffic signal showed how badly the infrastructure has been damaged. The Panchganga river that flows nearby has flooded the city.

Trucks and other heavy vehicles that bring supplies to Kolhapur have been stopped 30 to 40 km away, which means vegetables, fuel and other essentials are in short supply.

Across Maharashtra, over two lakh people have been rescued from flooded towns

Four people have died in the floods in Kolhapur and thousands have been evacuated by teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Over 3,800 homes have been destroyed.

Officials say it will take two or three days for the water to recede, but predictions of more heavy rain over the next 24 hours raised fears of more damage.

Across Maharashtra, over two lakh people have been rescued from flooded towns. The Navy has also been roped in for the rescue effort. Navy divers have rescued hundreds and taken them to safety in Kolhapur and other areas like Sangli.

The road to Kolhapur city has partly vanished under water

On Thursday, the disaster response teams rescued over 3,500 people from Kolhapur. As many as 27 people have died in five districts of western Maharashtra, according to official estimates.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reviewed the damage in an aerial survey of Sangli and Kolhapur yesterday. Mr Fadnavis said thousands were living without electricity in the flooded regions and some 38,000 people are staying in relief camps in Kolhapur.