Dam breach in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district; death toll rises to six

Six people were killed and 19 went missing after a dam in Maharashtra’s coastal Konkan region breached following incessant rain, leading to flood-like situation in downstream villages, officials said on Wednesday. The incident happened around 9.30 p.m. on July 2, when the Tiware Dam, which had started overflowing after heavy rain, breached Resident Deputy Collector Datta Bhadakawad told IANS. As water gushed out creating a flood-like situation, at least seven villages downstream were inundated and a dozen houses in Bhendewadi with 14 families which were washed away. The affected villages are Daadar, Akle, Riktoli, Ovali, Kalkavne, Nandivase, with an estimated total population of around 3,000, in a hilly region, around 90 km from the district headquarters. A local police official said six dead bodies have been recovered so far while 19 people are still missing. Teams of the fire brigade and NDRF from Pune and Sindhudurg, besides local volunteers, have launched rescue operations. Top civil and police officials also rushed to the spot. When contacted, Additional Superintendent of Police, Ratnagiri, Vishal Gaikwad said a search operation has been launched by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and state police personnel. “Police have moved the villagers to safer places. The situation is under control now,” he said. Another police officer said rescue operations were hampered initially due to darkness and sudden influx of water. However, local public representatives alleged that the government neglected their pleas for maintenance of the dam. They claimed to have written to the administration about the cracks in the walls of the dam, but no action was taken. Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan said villagers in the vicinity of the Tiware dam had complained of cracks in the dam. Source: The Hindu