Monday, August 1 2005 13:20 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Satara (Maha): More than 150 flood-affected families were shifted to safer places while 55 villages continue to remain cut off following the heavy rains since yesterday (July 31, 2005) even as authorities plan to release more water from Koyna dam today (Aug 1, 2005) in Satara district of Maharashtra.

About 100 flood-affected families from Karad and some 60 families in Patan tehsil have so far been evacuated to safer places after the areas were flooded due to heavy downpour since yesterday, District Magistrate Subrao Patil told sources in Satara.

Fifty villages in Patan tehsil and five in Karad remain cut off since yesterday because of floods as many roads and bridges in the two tehsils were submerged after 80,000 cusecs of water was released from the Koyana dam yesterday, the District Magistrate said.

Meanwhile, the administration has decided to release more water from the Koyana dam because heavy rainfall in the catchments area has filled the dam to full capacity, the official said.

About 90,000 cusecs of water would be released from the dam today, he said but allayed apprehensions about any disruption in power generation due to a crack in a hill caused by rains near the switchyard of the 600 MW Koyna power generation site at Pophali.

Patil said landslides are a possibility at many places because of rains, however, there is no threat of disruption of power generation at Koyna on this count.