Hindustantimes wants to start sending you push notifications. Click allow to subscribe

Hit by cyclone, Raigad district crawls back to normalcy

By, Mumbai
Jul 03, 2020 12:51 AM IST

A month after severe cyclone Nisarga left a trail of destruction along the coastal and inland tehsils of Raigad district, the overall situation has steadily improved,

A month after severe cyclone Nisarga left a trail of destruction along the coastal and inland tehsils of Raigad district, the overall situation has steadily improved, the district collector said.

The restoration, however, has been challenging following intense monsoon rains.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

During June, Raigad recorded 545.5 mm rain, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Though it was 22% deficient for the month, it had the third-highest rainfall among all districts in Maharashtra. The district has recorded 791 confirmed cases of Covid-19, 298 recoveries, and 17 deaths so far.

According to the district administration, electricity had been restored across 1,700 of 1,976 villages in Raigad. “Non-electrified villages are mostly across Shrivardhan, Tala, Mhasla and Mangaon tehsils, which were worst-affected due to the cyclone,” said Nidhi Choudhari, district collector and magistrate, Raigad.

“The administration has been working on a war-footing for relief and restoration activities but intense monsoon rain combined with inaccessibility to electricity poles in marshy areas or mangroves has made it even more challenging for us. Also, we are keeping a close watch to ensure residents follow social distancing and safety measures during the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Chaudhari.

Overall, 87% electricity restored by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd. (MSEDCL) across other 11 talukas apart from the four most affected ones. A total of 5.5 lakh of 6.35 lakh consumer’s power supply is currently in place, said Choudhari. “Teams from other districts arrived during the third week of June for restoration efforts. However, due to different topography and climate they have faced difficulties,” she said.

Choudhari said 88,000 people had been paid relief for their damaged houses in the district while 1418 of 2136 water supply schemes had been activated through electricity restoration. “Remaining areas are using generators for water supply. Hence, people aren’t facing inconvenience,” said Choudhari.

“Residents of nearby villages have either been given generators or they have managed to purchase one among three to four households. However, there is very little availability of kerosene to power them. This is still leading to a shortage of drinking water but the situation is better than before,” said Rajendra Kudekar, resident of Tala town in Mangaon.

Dattatreya Karanje, resident of Aravi village, Shrivardhan said, “It is now 28 days since there is no electricity in our village. We have been provided with a few generators that are mostly used for pumping water from bore wells. The local administration said it will take one more week to restore power. We are used to the dark and the dim candle lights.”

Alibag resident Kunal Salunkhe said, “More than relief from the state, quick intervention by residents, non-government bodies, and assistance from relatives from cities like Mumbai and Pune during the Covid-19 pandemic have helped normalise the situation. People have built more studier rooftops but unfortunately, they are still made using tin.”

The administration said they had restored network connectivity with 435 of 548 mobile towers in Raigad. “Telecom operators have powered their towers with the help of generators,” said Choudhari.

Sandeep Mendharkar from Mhasala said, “Network availability is still low. There are certain spots near villages and towns where there is a network, and this can be identified by a small crowd located there through the day across villages in Mhasla.”

The collector said relief amount had been paid for all deceased, injured citizens, livestock, and the compensation process for crop losses is underway. “In all, 12,000 hectares of crop or horticultural losses were recorded in the district. Crop compensation takes more time as land records have many names and all have to either share their account details or give consent for the transfer of relief amount to one of the occupants,” said Choudhari.

Kudekar said this was the reason why long queues were spotted at banks located in small towns. “The only functioning bank is Bank of India, and villagers from surrounding areas are queuing up to claim compensation. Some have come and returned almost five to six times until they receive their money,” he said.

Meanwhile, for the 1.6 lakh tree fall cases during the cyclone, Choudhari said all roads had been cleared. “Wood of trees cut in the wadis (farmlands or hamlets) belongs to people. Directions were given to use the wood of trees fallen by local panchayats for shamshan ghats (burial sites). For major highways and roads, the tree barks are yet to be cut as in cut into logs. Those cutting branches and taking away are using it for fuel in rural areas,” said Choudhari.

CYCLONE NISARGA: WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

Nisarga, classified as a severe cyclonic storm, made landfall at Diveagar, located between Shrivardhan and Murud between 12.15pm and 12.30pm on June 3 as it passed over Raigad district following the onset of the southwest monsoon. The wind speed during and after landfall had touched a maximum of 120 kmph leading to rooftops of several structures blown away, tree fall and power line damages, and a communication blackout across 80% of Raigad. While 1.4 lakh houses were damaged, 5.2 lakh structures were partially damaged. In addition, 1.6 lakh tree fall incidents and 16,000 electricity infrastructure damages was recorded. The district administration had calculated 200 crore in property destruction, including 40 crore losses due to power infrastructure damages. It also led to issues such as the drinking water crisis as without electricity, people were unable to pump water from bore wells.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
OPEN APP