Friday, August 11 2006 10:37 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: The flood situation in Maharashtra, where 219 people perished in rain-related incidents in last five days, and Gujarat's diamond-cutting city of Surat improved yesterday (Aug 10, 2006) but a fresh threat loomed large over parts of Andhra Pradesh as Krishna river was in spate.

"Flood waters in 175 talukas, 5,259 villages and eight cities in 29 districts of Maharashtra started receeding," officials said.

Officials in Maharashtra Disaster Management Control said round 219 persons were killed in rain-related incidents in the last five days and 11 went missing.

"Over 31,000 people in the temple town of Pandharpur in Solapur district and also in 76 nearby villages have been evacuated after the water level of Bheema river rose 3.8 metres above the danger level," official sources said.

The water level of Godavari river near Nanded in Marathwada region has receded and is now 2.30 below the danger level, they said adding 19,000 cusecs of water was discharged from Gangapur dam, 12,000 cusecs from Darna dam, 34,000 cusecs from Palkhed, 1,65,000 from Nadur-Madmeshwar in and around Nasik and 5,100 cusecs from Vishnupuri project in Nanded into Godavari.

The Barvi dam near Kalyan in Thane district is overflowing, forcing authorities to discharge over 12000 cuses water.



Health authorities said 912 medical teams were deployed in flood-affected areas of the state to check spread of water-borne diseases post-flood.

"In Nasik, several villages remained submerged and the administration was providing food-packets and drinking water to the people," officials said.