Maharashtra: Schools closed in Latur due to heavy rainfall; IMD issues yellow alert

LATUR: Heavy downpour has disrupted life in Maharashtra’s Latur district, prompting the administration to declare a school holiday on Friday, officials said. Of the 60 revenue circles in the district in the state’s Marathwada region, 29 had reported excessive rainfall till Thursday night as water levels in rivers and streams rose, triggering rescue operations, they said.

About 50 roads and bridges were shut after water began to flow over the structures. With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a yellow alert for August 29, District Collector and Disaster Management Authority Chairperson Varsha Thakur-Ghuge has announced a holiday for all schools from Class 1 to 12, an official said.

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In Chakur tehsil, 679 students and 40 teachers were stranded at a Kendriya Vidyalaya School, located in a BSF camp, after the school premises got waterlogged .

Disaster management teams and local villagers rescued ten persons stranded in flood-hit areas of Shirur Anantpal and Ahmedpur talukas. An Army team has also arrived in Ahmedpur. In Shirur Anantpal, five persons trapped in a riverside shed and three labourers stuck during bridge construction on the Gharni river were safely rescued.

All of them were rescued by BSF jawans on Thursday evening. Neighbouring Nanded has also been affected by heavy rains. More than 2,200 persons were shifted to safety in Nanded and Latur following torrential downpour, officials had said on Thursday.