Kolhapur flood damage review in 15 days

KOLHAPUR: Revenue officials in the district have been asked to start damage assessment in the flood-affected areas and submit a report in the next 15 days.

Floodwaters had spread across farms in the district and the collector has ordered a detailed survey of the damage it had caused after the recent downpour. There was a similar flood-like situation in the district in the first 10 days of July as well, though revenue officials could not conduct the assessment because of the mud in the farms.

"The Panchganga was in spate and we had to wait for long to allow the water recede. I have asked all talathis and officials concerned from the department to carry out damage assessment and submit a report within 15 days. The report will have details such as crop in the farm, the visible damage and the estimated area affected due to the floods," collector Amit Saini said on Wednesday.

Officials said the report might be ready by August end, as the revenue department has to get the routine work done as well.

Kolhapur had faced similar floods in the first week of July as well. Saini said, "The first and foremost challenge was to gain access to the farms that remained under water. Once the floodwaters receded, most of the farms were full of mud and impossible for access. The revenue officials waited for some time, but it was not dry enough till the district started getting major showers again from the first week of August," Saini said. tnn

"The officials will be assessing the damages as there have been bright days consecutively I am hopeful of revenue officials getting some breathing period from the incessant showers so that they can finish their report," he added.

The disaster management cell has in a statement confirmed that 4.21 hectares of agricultural land was damaged by to the floods.

Officials privy to the development said the real damage would be mostly to the groundnuts and soyabean crops. "Paddy needs more water and most of the paddy farms are on hill slopes; hence flood water has not damaged these crops. The water has entered many sugar farms and in some areas it; is still therebut the crop being a major water intense there is little scope for the damage. In the current season, most of the sugarcane is more than eight feet high and water level was not that higher in the farms," an official said.

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