Mumbai, Sep 2 : The Congress on Monday asked the Maharashtra government to send immediate aid to flood-hit Marathwada districts, which have been severely hit by heavy and torrential rains disrupting daily life.

Roads and bridges have been washed away which has cut off many villages in Marathwada from the rest of the region.

The floodwaters have destroyed standing crops in the fields, causing a loss of the Kharif season.

Hundreds of livestock have been swept away while rivers and streams are overflowing.

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Nana Patole has demanded that the government put aside events and advertisements and urgently provide aid to the flood-affected people of Marathwada.

Patole said that for the past two days, the districts of Nanded, Parbhani, Hingoli, Beed, Dharashiv, and Latur in Marathwada have experienced torrential rains.

Thousands of houses have been flooded, causing chaos among the residents, and many homes have collapsed.

"Marathwada is surrounded by flood water. The flood-affected people are in dire need of help, and the state government must take this situation seriously. Arrangements should be made to ensure that government assistance reaches the flood victims promptly. Wherever necessary, SDRF/NDRF teams should be deployed. Orders should be issued for assessing damaged crops, but before that, immediate assistance should be announced and disbursed to the flood-affected and those who have suffered losses," he added.

Patole said that the affected people should be relocated to safe places and all necessary arrangements should be made.

All government machinery needs to be mobilised immediately to support the people and ensure that all forms of aid reach them.

"The situation in Hingoli city and several villages has become critical due to flooding. The government should immediately issue orders to provide maximum assistance to the flood-affected areas. The guardian Ministers have not yet reached the affected districts. The government should work faster to help the flood victims and farmers than it does for its favourite industrialists and contractors," he added.

/IANS