Warning Issued to Villages Along Riverbanks

Search and Rescue Operations Initiated by Administration

Nanded, Aug 2025 : Heavy rainfall has been lashing the district for the past three days, with several talukas receiving torrential downpours. As a result, both rainfall and water discharge in the Vishnupuri project area have increased significantly. The Siddheshwar and Yeldari dams, located upstream of the Vishnupuri project, have reached capacity and their water discharge has also risen.

Consequently, eight gates of the Vishnupuri dam have been opened, releasing 94,000 cusecs of water into the riverbed. This discharge is set to increase further, reaching up to 1.25 lakh cusecs. In light of this, a flood alert has been issued for Nanded city and the riverbank villages. Citizens have been urged not to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary, District Collector Rahul Kardile announced.

In Mukhed taluka’s Lendi dam catchment area, as well as Udgir taluka of Latur and Bidar taluka of Karnataka, heavy rainfall was recorded yesterday. In Mukramabad circle of Nanded district, 206 mm rainfall was registered. Due to this, villages such as Ravangaon, Hasanala, Bhingoli, and Bhaswadi in the Lendi dam’s catchment area were inundated.

• In Ravangaon, 225 citizens were stranded.
• In Hasanala, 8 villagers took refuge on a watchtower.
• In Ravangaon, 4 people were trapped on a mosque rooftop, while 8 others clung to trees.
• Around 40 citizens were stranded in Bhingoli.

This created a serious crisis. Since morning, teams from the Revenue Department and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been carrying out rescue operations, assisted by police and an army team that has reached the affected villages. The SDRF teams have been conducting search and rescue operations since early morning.

Currently, 80 to 100 people in Ravangaon remain surrounded by floodwaters, and they are expected to be rescued within the next two hours. So far, five citizens are reported missing, and search efforts are ongoing. A large number of livestock have also been affected, according to Collector Kardile.

Although the situation at the Penganga projects remains under control, discharge levels may rise. The district administration has appealed to citizens to remain vigilant. To avoid complications from the increased discharge at Vishnupuri, discussions were held with the Irrigation Department Secretary of Telangana, and continuous coordination is being maintained with the District Collectors of Bidar and Latur.

Due to continuous rainfall for the past three days, rivers and streams across the district are in flood. Citizens have been strongly advised not to drive vehicles through flooded areas and to avoid entering rivers, waterfalls, or taking selfies near floodwaters, Collector Kardile cautioned.