Conduct Immediate Damage Assessments for Flood-Affected Citizens – Guardian Minister Chandrakant Patil

Sangli, Aug 2025 : The government and administration stand firmly with citizens affected by the floods and will provide all necessary facilities. Damage assessment (panchnama) of losses caused by heavy rains should be carried out immediately, instructed District Guardian Minister Chandrakant Patil today.

Guardian Minister Patil visited Old Khed (Tal. Walwa), Datt Mandir Audumbar, Maulanagar, Bhilavadi (Tal. Palus), and Suryavanshi Plot in Sangli city to review the flood situation and interact with citizens. He also inspected relief centers at Secondary High School, Bhilavadi, and Sahakar Bhavan, Market Yard, Sangli, to review facilities provided to displaced flood victims. He gathered information on traffic disruptions, crop damage, and emergency services in the wake of heavy rains.

Accompanying him were MLA Sudhir Gadgil, District Collector Ashok Kakade, Sangli Municipal Commissioner Satyam Gandhi, ZP Project Director Nandini Ghanekar, Sub-Divisional Officers Srinivas Arjun (Walwa), Ranjit Bhosale (Palus), Uttam Dighe (Miraj), Agriculture Superintendent Vivek Kumbhar, and others.

During his visit, Patil inspected multiple flood-affected areas across Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Municipal Corporation and district limits, interacted with affected families, and reviewed arrangements at relief centers. At Bhilavadi’s Secondary High School relief camp, he personally joined flood-affected citizens for a meal to test the quality of food provided. He also discussed recurring flood issues with local representatives, officials, and residents.

Patil stressed that while facing natural calamities, people must identify future risks. Permanent solutions to major floods should be planned. In flood-prone villages, he suggested marking the highest past flood level on walls with paint so that evacuation and planning can begin before water rises to that level. As waters are now receding, he directed the administration to prioritize cleaning, spraying disinfectants to prevent epidemics, and conducting immediate damage assessments in farms for compensation distribution. Relief efforts in the form of financial aid and essential supplies are already underway.

He further observed that due to excess rainfall, dam water release became inevitable, causing rivers to overflow and submerge riverside homes and farms. “Even when we could not physically reach, we constantly monitored the situation, coordinated with the administration, and issued instructions. The Water Resources Department maintained good coordination with Almatti Dam management regarding water discharge. Citizens were shifted to safer places in time, preventing any loss of life or livestock,” Patil said with satisfaction.

Recalling the experiences of the 2019 and 2021 floods, he directed authorities to prepare proposals for temporary and permanent rehabilitation of flood-affected people. He suggested considering elevated housing models in flood-prone areas, where lower floors remain open and residences are built on higher levels.

Patil praised the district administration, noting that Sangli district recorded zero human and cattle casualties during this flood due to effective coordination and proper arrangements at relief centers.

On the contentious Almatti Dam height issue, he assured citizens that the Maharashtra government strongly opposes increasing the dam’s height, as it would submerge farms and homes in Kolhapur and Sangli districts. “We have presented our case firmly before the Union Government and in the Supreme Court with top legal experts. We will not allow Almatti’s height to be raised,” he guaranteed.

The inspection tour was also attended by Tehsildars Sachin Patil (Walwa), Ashwini Varute (Sangli), Deepti Rithe (Palus), Block Development Officers Abasaheb Pawar (Walwa) and Rajesh Kadam (Palus), as well as sarpanches, officers, and local villagers.