Goa, Sept. 23 -- Marathwada, Maharashtra's drought-prone heartland, is reeling under its heaviest rainfall in over 50 years. In just four days of relentless downpour, eight lives have been lost and 159 villages in Dharashiv district flooded.

over 750 houses damaged, 186 cattle perished, and 33,000 hectares of farmland destroyed. Infrastructure has also taken a severe hit, with three bridges collapsing in Jalna and Beed, two schools damaged in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and five small dams breached.

State Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan called the situation "very grim," noting the unprecedented rainfall and large-scale crop losses. Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne added that 63.51 lakh acres of farmland across Maharashtr...