About 5,000 families in 35 villages along Krishna river in Sangli district of Maharashtra have been evacuated to safer places following rise in water level of the river.

Heavy rains in the region coupled with releasing of over 70,000 cusec water from the Koyna dam after Sunday downpor has lead the water level to rise at an alarming level.

"The district administration has a contingency plan in place to tackle further rise in water. The number of evacuated people may rise upto 10,000 if the water level rises even by two-three feet," District Collector Manisha Mhaisekar said.

"Going by the present situation, the water level may rise further," she said here.

• Terrible Tuesday: Mumbai copes with a calamity

Asked if the gates of the Almatty dam in Karnataka had been opened to accomodate the huge quantity of water being released into Krishna river and also the torrential rains, she said "As per my information, the Almatty gates have been opened."

"But the issue is being dealt at the highest level in the chief minister's office," she said adding, "as of now, we do not forsee any danger to villages along Krishna river due to backwaters of the Almatty dam."

With the water level in Bheema river rising, the pilgrim town of Pandharpur in neighbouring Solapur district also faces the prospect of being partially submerged, official sources said, adding water has also been released from the Ujni dam, 35 km from Solapur.

Terrible Tuesday: Mumbai copes with a calamity
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