National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel rescue people trapped in flood waters in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will visit Ratnagiri district, one of the worst-hit areas, on Sunday, ravaged by rain. Leader of Opposition (LoP) Devendra Fadnavis, Union Ministers Narayan Rane, Ramdas Athawale will also review the situation in Raigad, Ratnagiri tomorrow as the state deals with its worst flood situation in which over 140 people were killed and thousands displaced.
NDRF teams 26. increased from 34
NDRF team rescues people trapped in flood waters in Kolhapur, western Indian state of Maharashtra. Heavy monsoon rains caused landslides in parts of western India, killing over 100 people and displacing thousands.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has increased the strength of its teams from 26 to 34 to carry out rescue operations in the coastal areas of Maharashtra, which have been affected by landslides and floods due to torrential rains.
A spokesman for the federal contingency force said these teams were being deployed to the affected areas. Mumbai, Ratnagiri, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Satara, Sangli, Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, Pune and Nagpur For rescue and relief work after consultation with the State Administration.
Additional teams airlifted from Kolkata, Vadodara
“In view of the gravity of the situation, eight additional teams of NDRF have been airlifted from Kolkata and Vadodara bases, which are being deployed in the affected areas of Maharashtra,” the spokesperson said.
“This will take the total deployment of NDRF to 34 teams,” the spokesperson said.
Over 1800 people were rescued, around 90 were evacuated to safer places
Indian Air Force (IAF) team carries out rescue operations in flood-hit Chiplun in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra following heavy monsoon rains.
He said that NDRF teams have so far rescued around 1,800 stranded people and evacuated 87 people to safer places.
“These teams have also recovered 52 bodies from various landslide sites and search is on for the missing people,” he said.
The spokesperson said the force is continuously monitoring the weather forecast of the India Meteorological Department and the report of the Central Water Commission in respect of Mumbai and the coastal districts of the Konkan region of Maharashtra, which have been receiving heavy rains for the past few days.
An NDRF team usually consists of 47 personnel and is equipped with life support equipment, wind boats and tree and pole cutters.
Raigad among the worst affected
A man cleans flood water and mud from his house in a flood-hit area of Mahad in Raigad district.
According to the State Disaster Management Department, Raigad district is worst affected by the rains, where 47 people, including 37 people, lost their lives in a landslide in Taliye village on Thursday.
Free food grains, kerosene to flood affected people
Vehicle damaged in flood affected area in Mahad of Raigad district.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said on Saturday that the Maharashtra government will provide free food grains and kerosene to the people in the flood-affected areas of the state.
Special assistance will be given to all those who have lost everything and nearly 89,000 people have been rendered homeless in the ravaged areas of Raigad, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Sangli, Kolhapur and Satara, which have been worst hit by the torrential rains since Thursday. .
Accordingly, the government will provide 10 kg of wheat, 10 kg of rice, 5 kg of pulses and 5 liters of kerosene to each family as per the government policy of March 2019.
Watch | Scenes of devastation in Maharashtra’s Konkan due to floods, landslides, rains
President Kovind calls on the Governor of Maharashtra
President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday called up Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and expressed concern over the loss of life and property due to rains and floods in the state. Rashtrapati Bhavan said that the Governor apprised the President of the rescue and relief operations undertaken to alleviate the plight of the people.
According to official figures updated till Friday, over 138 people have died in rain-related incidents, including several landslides, in Maharashtra in the past two days.
PM Modi announced ex-gratia to the next of kin of the deceased
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday condoled the loss of lives in landslides in Maharashtra’s coastal Raigad district and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased.
Modi said the situation in Maharashtra is being closely monitored due to heavy rains and assistance is being provided to the affected.
read also | 5 bodies recovered from Ambeghar landslide site in Maharashtra’s Satara, rescue work underway
(PTI, IANS with inputs)
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