The rains in Maharashtra have wreaked major havoc to the state claiming lives and destroying property. At 9:30 pm on Tuesday, more deaths were reported after a breach in the Tiware Dam in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district. 6 individuals are reported dead and 18 people are missing. Several villages such as Akle, Riktoli, Ovali, Kalkavne and Nandivase have faced flooding. In addition, 12 houses and 20 vehicles which were located near the Tiware Dam, have been washed away.

It is said that the locals had informed authorities that the dam had been showing signs of leakage but no action was taken. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team is working along with government officials, volunteers and the police for the rescue operation. Alok Awasthy, NDRF spokesman said: “Using drones, we have located six dead bodies and over 18 people are still missing. We have deployed two teams after the Tiware dam breach occurred last night and are looking for survivors.”

Several incidents reported across the state including wall collapses killing more than 20 people and the disruption of rail and air services, show the extent of damage that has been caused. Extremely heavy rainfall is likely to continue on July 4th and 5th in Thane and Palghar. Mumbai is also at risk of floods between 3rd and 5th July. The incidents are very tragic but also make us think of the extent of destruction that may be man-made, directly or indirectly.