Mumbai/Bangalore: A total of 56 people died in rain-related incidents in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
As many as 30 people were dead in western Maharashtra and another 26 in Karnataka as heavy rains wreaked havoc in these states.
Over four lakh people have been evacuated to safer places from flood-affected parts of Maharashtra in last five days.
The situation in western Maharashtra is likely to improve as five lakh cusec of water was being discharged from Almatti dam on the Krishna river in Karnataka, officials said. The backwaters of the dam are spread in Maharashtra.
According to a statement, 4,24,333 people have been evacuated across Maharashtra. A total of 761 villages in 69 tehsils are affected by floods.
National Highway 4 (Mumbai- Bengaluru) is still shut, and Karnataka-bound vehicles coming from Mumbai are advised to take the Solapur route.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be visiting Karnataka's worst affected Belagavi district on Sunday.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said never ever a disaster of this magnitude had struck the state in the past 45 years.
He appealed to the people to donate generously to rebuild the flood-hit areas.
"Our preliminary assessment suggests that the loss is to the tune of Rs 6,000 crore. We have sought Rs 3,000 crore from the Centre," Yediyurappa told reporters.
The government has assessed that 3,22,448 hectares of agricultural land have been damaged due to floods and landslides.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday conducted an aerial survey of the worst-affected Belagavi and Bagalkote districts.
Meanwhile, rescue and rehabilitation works intensified across the state with Army, National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force, Civil Defence, Railways, police, home guards, scouts and guides chipping in to provide relief to the thousands of displaced people.
