Thursday, September 15 2005 14:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Nagpur: Helicopters have been pressed into service and army personnel deployed for the rescue and relief work in Bhandara and Gondia districts of Maharashtra after the Wainganga River was in spate due to incessant rains for last three days.

"A contingent of trained army personnel has been deployed today to tackle the situation in Lakhni, Pauni, Lakhandur and Bhandara tehsils as the water level in Wainganga River is on the rise," Bhandara's Additional Collector N B Wati told PTI.

Incessant rain since last three days in the catchment area has prompted the Irrigation Department authorities to release 1.60 cusec water from Sanjay Gandhi Sarovar in Balaghat district in Madhya Pradesh, thereby posing danger to the people living on the riverbank in Bhandara district.

In Bhandara city, water continued to flow above the bridge across Wainganga River and as a precautionary measure people living near the riverbank were shifted to safe places.

In Gondia district, more than 1,000 families are facing flood related problems in Tiroda, Aamgaon and Gondia tehsils and many more areas have been badly affected, Additional Collector L R Gupta told PTI here today (Sept 15, 2005).

Earlier, army was summoned for relief and rescue operations in the worst-affected Gondia district which has been cut-off from rest of the country yesterday (Sept 14, 2005). About 200 families from Tiroda, Aamgaon, Sadak Arjuni and Goregaon tehsils of Gondia district were shifted to safer places.

Maharashtra PWD Minister and Guardian Minister Anil Deshmukh has rushed to review the situation even as army men, with life boats, are engaged in the rescue and relief works.

Meanwhile, Nagpur Range IG Police S M Mushrif said two helicopters each for Bhandara and Gondia have been pressed into service.

"About a dozen life boats too have been airlifted from Pune which will be used by army men," he said, adding, as a precuationary measure, companies of State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) have been deployed to assist District Administrations and police.

Vehicular traffic on national highways six from Nagpur to Bhandara and onwards towards Madhya Pradesh border, has been badly affected with large number of vehicles stranded at various places.

In Nagpur city, the situation is slightly better today with bright sunshine greeting the Nagpurians.

The Fire brigade personnel heaved a sigh of relief as there were hardly any distress call barring those for clearing of roads after trees fell yesterday.

Guardian Minister Satish Chaturvedi went around the city to assess the situation.