Mumbai: Nine NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) teams will be deployed across Maharashtra from June 15 in a bid to reduce response time during natural calamities and flooding. Of nine teams, two each will be deployed in Mumbai and Thane and one each will be stationed in Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Satara and Kolhapur districts, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Tuesday.
Similarly, one team each of SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) will be deployed in Nanded and Gadchiroli between June 15 and September 15, the CM said.
The decision was taken on Tuesday during a review meeting chaired by Thackeray considering the risk of natural calamities during monsoon. The move will bring down the response time for relief and rescue work significantly, the state government has said.
The review meeting was attended by various state and central agencies such as defence, railways, coast guards, IMD, NDRF, SDRF, BMC, Mhada, police, revenue, relief and rehabilitation and agriculture, among others.
“The state was badly hit due to excessive rains for last two consecutive years. Going by the prediction, the rainfall will be good this year. It’s good to know that all the agencies have prepared well in advance to deal with any disaster like situation. All the agencies need to work in coordination with a goal of zero casualties during emergencies. The water resources department needs to make proper arrangements for releasing water from dams and direct the concerned officers to be present at the headquarters,” Thackeray said during the meeting.
He further said that the water resources department has developed a system based on which people will be able to know real-time information about water released from dams in the state.
“With this system in place, people will come to know how much water is going to be released from which dam on a real-time basis. It will help the people residing around the dam and catchment areas in getting the information well in advance. Anyone can access the information live from the water resources department’s website from June 15,” CM said.
Thackeray had directed the water resources department to start such a system after floods and landslide incidents took place in Raigad, Ratnagiri and other districts in July last year.
Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar suggested that BMC put up flags or banners above manholes during floods in Mumbai so that people will become cautious while walking and unfortunate incidents can be averted.
The state relief and rehabilitation minister Vijay Wadettiwar said that they are drafting a rehabilitation policy for villages that are facing the permanent danger of landslides. “With such a policy in place, all such villages will be rehabilitated and their issue will be resolved permanently,” Wadettiwar said.