Palghar: The extremely heavy rain that lashed Palghar district in July caused an estimated loss of Rs 180 crore to public infrastructure, residential properties, power networks and household assets, states a preliminary damage assessment prepared by the district administration. The report will be presented to Maharashtra govt for a special financial relief package, while the administration also plans to approach the World Bank for assistance in long-term flood mitigation measures.Palghar witnessed two phases of exceptionally heavy rainfall from July 1 to 8 and again between July 22 and 24, triggering widespread flooding across the district. The floods claimed 23 lives and inundated 15,802 houses, affecting thousands of families.The assessment estimates that the public works department (PWD) suffered the biggest setback, with losses pegged at Rs 148 crore after several roads, bridges and culverts were washed away. Damage to the power distribution network, including uprooted electricity poles, failed transformers and flooded substations, is estimated at Rs 3-4 crore, while civic infrastructure under the urban development department sustained losses of around Rs 9 crore.Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had directed district administrations in flood-affected regions to prepare detailed proposals for a special relief package. Acting on the directive, the Palghar administration has completed damage assessments across departments and compiled detailed reports on losses to public assets, power infrastructure and other sectors. The proposal will now be submitted to the state govt for financial assistance.District collector InduRani Jakhad said the administration also intends to leverage the proposal to seek funding from the World Bank for strengthening flood resilience in the district. The proposed funding will be utilised for flood mitigation measures, upgrading critical infrastructure and restoring damaged roads, bridges and connectivity through coordinated efforts of various govt departments.In a long-term initiative to minimise the impact of future natural disasters, the district administration will prepare a scientific disaster management framework with technical support from the Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA) and the Maharashtra Resilient Development Programme (MRDP). The framework will focus on flood-prone area planning, strengthening critical infrastructure and improving disaster preparedness across the district.