Rs 39.86 Crore Relief For Rain-Hit Maharashtra’s Palghar Families, Shopkeepers

Families and small traders in Maharashtra’s Palghar district will get Rs 39.86 crore in relief after heavy July rains flooded homes, cut off villages and disrupted livelihoods across the district.

The Maharashtra Relief and Rehabilitation Department has approved Rs 29.87 crore for affected families and Rs 9.99 crore for shopkeepers, stall owners and street vendors.

The district administration has already paid Rs 22.77 crore to 15,190 beneficiaries under the family relief scheme. Dahanu received the largest share, with Rs 7.98 crore given to 5,321 people. Aid has also been sent to people in Vasai, Palghar, Talasari and Wada.

The rain damage went far beyond homes and shops. At the height of the floods, more than 200 villages were cut off. Rescue teams saved hundreds of people, while schools were shut in affected areas. Reports also said the rain-related death toll in the district rose as the situation worsened in July.

Agriculture also took a major hit. Heavy rain affected more than 4,600 farmers across 346 villages, with crops damaged over about 1,205 hectares. For families dependent on farming, the losses could continue to hurt even after flood waters recede.

The relief for traders includes Rs 5.025 crore for Vasai, Rs 1.30 crore for Dahanu, Rs 35.95 lakh for Palghar and Rs 5.50 lakh for Talasari.

The government has also approved a larger Rs 81.22 crore flood compensation package for Palghar district and the Vasai-Virar civic body. Under the wider package, families with destroyed homes can receive up to Rs 1.5 lakh. Additional aid has also been announced for damaged houses, clothes and household items.

For people who lost homes, crops or their daily income, the relief is more than a government figure. It is a chance to repair what the rains took away and start earning again.