Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday inspected crop and property damage caused due to flooding amid heavy rains in Chandrapur district and directed officials to conduct spot inspection of the losses.

Fadnavis also assured that financial help will be provided to rain-affected people in the district as soon as possible. The deputy chief minister inspected crop damage at Navegaon (Peth) in Chimur tehsil of the district.

Fadnavis was informed that soybean and cotton crops were completely destroyed due to incessant rainfall that lashed the district, while people whose houses were partially or completely damaged were shifted to safe locations by the administration.

"The affected citizens will be given immediate financial assistance by the government and no one will be deprived of help. The district administration has been ordered to conduct a panchnama immediately," Fadnavis said. According to the district administration, Chimur taluka received an average of 701 mm from June 1 to July 19.

A total of 41 villages were affected due to floods in Uma and Godhani rivers and Satnala and Hattighoda nullahs in the taluka, while as many as 208 people were evacuated from Neri, Sirpur, Kalamgaon, Panjrepar, Bamhani, Savargaon and Malewada, Gagona and Mahalgaon Kalu villages, it was stated.

A total of 547 houses and 38 cowsheds in the villages of Khadsangi, Neri, Chimur, Masal, Jambhulghat, Bhisi and Shankarpur were partially affected and 17 houses and three cowsheds were completely damaged due to flooding in Chimur. As per preliminary inspection conducted by the agriculture department, crops in the area of 33,645 hectares were damaged.?

(With PTI Inputs)