As the flood situation turned grim in Maharashtra's Kolhapur and surrounding areas, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called up Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Karnataka Chief Minster BS Yediyurappa, requesting help for the lakhs of the affected people, officials said here on Tuesday.
Fadnavis requested Rajnath Singh to help coordinate and expedite flood rescue and relief efforts through agencies like the National Disaster Response Force, the Army, the Air Force, the Coast Guard and others in the worst-hit Kolhapur and Sangli districts.
Earlier, he also spoke with his Karnataka counterpart Yediyurappa and urged him to discharge water from the Almatti Dam which can ease the situation for Maharashtra. He has been assured of a positive action, said an official from the Maharashtra Chief Minister's Office (CMO).
Fadnavis, currently in Yavatmal district for his ongoing 'Mahajanadesh Yatra', reviewed the flood situation in the state's western and southern parts, and discussed the issue with Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta.
He also announced that he was breaking the Yatra for a day to return to Mumbai and monitor the flood situation in the state's southern parts.
Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara and their surroundings have been pounded with heavy rains virtually non-stop since the past five days leading to water-logging and a flood-like situation in many cities, towns and villages.
Deputy Collector of Kolhapur Sanjay Shinde said so far, over 9,000 people from the district have been evacuated and shifted to safer locations.