Maharashtra: 24 NDRF, SDRF teams deployed as rain engulfs Mumbai, Thane, Kolhapur

Against the backdrop of heavy rains in several parts of Maharashtra, the state government is fully geared to tackle the situation by deploying 24 teams of the NDRF and the SDRF in the flood-prone coastal Konkan on Tuesday.

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Two teams each of the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed in Mumbai, Thane, and Kolhapur and one each in Palghar, Raigad, and Ratnagiri.

One team each of the State Disaster Response Force are already in the field in Nanded and Gadchiroli where heavy rains continue since Tuesday evening.

Besides, 9 NDRF teams are kept ready - with 3 each at the base stations in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur, in addition to 2 SDRF teams at the base stations in Dhule and Nagpur.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is monitoring the disaster management and response as downpour continued in many districts including Mumbai since Monday evening.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase slammed the state government for its shoddy preparedness despite heavy rains in many parts and warning of more rain over the next few days.

"It is the job of the respective District Guardian Ministers to monitor these things.. But the new government has not yet appointed any ministers owing to severe differences between CM Shinde and Bharatiya Janata Party Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis," he alleged.

Owing to this, even 6 days after the government was sworn-in, the cabinet is not in place nor have Guardian Ministers been appointed and this could severely hamper the work of disaster management in the coming days of the predicted downpour, said Tapase.

Meanwhile, Mumbai recorded 117 mm rains, Mumbai suburbs 124mm, and Palghar notched 100 mm average rain in the past 24 hours, said an official.

Owing to a flood-like situation developing in two villages of Amravati, work has been taken up to evacuate the stranded villagers, using available locals teams.

Though there is no flood situation in Ratnagiri, 2 major rivers in the district are flowing above the danger levels and the authorities are on full alert, and in Kolhapur as river level has risen, two NDRF teams have been deployed.

Several hillslides on the Parshuram Ghat on Mumbai-Goa Highway led to the closure of the road as a precaution.