Gujarat floods: NDRF pressed into action

The heavy rainfall in monsoon season is creating flood -like situations, resulting in untoward incidents like boat capsize and drowning at some places.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams which are pre-positioned in flood-prone areas are relentlessly engaged to assist the administration in rescue and evacuation work.

An NDRF team pre-positioned at Gir Somnath (Gujarat) commenced rescue and evacuation operations at Girgodada Railway Station, Gir Somnath where several persons got stuck in four bogies of a local train due to water-logging at railway track.

So far, 252 persons have been evacuated to safer places.

One NDRF team conducted rescue and evacuation work at Sant Nagar Colony, Surat, Gujarat where heavy rains lashed low lying areas and stranded several people. The team evacuated 85 persons to safer places.

NDRF team deployed in Valsad (Gujarat) for emergency response has been relentlessly engaged in evacuation work at Bander Road, Valsad city and Kashmir Nagar with full zeal and commitment where heavy rains raised the water level of a tributary of Auranga River, creating waterlogging in some low lying areas and disturbing the normal life.

One team is operational at Vill- Indori, Distt- Pune (MH) in connection with the drowning of one person in Indrayani River.

In addition, one team is engaged in search of six persons who went missing when a boat carrying 40 persons got capsized at Polavaram Distt. East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh.

A total of 104 teams of NDRF have been pre-positioned/deployed across the country, and are on a standby, ready to be put into action in case of disaster and disaster like situations.

The teams are being mobilized to the flood-affected areas as per the situation as well as requisition of local administration.

In view of the heavy rainfall forecast in Gujarat, five teams are being mobilized from NDRF Base Pune to Gujarat for further prepositioning deployment.

So far, NDRF has saved 29 precious lives and evacuated more than 15,600 persons during the monsoon season across the country.

A 24x7, NDRF control room in New Delhi is closely monitoring the situation and is in touch with other agencies/stakeholders.