83 NDRF teams dispatched for flood relief, rescue in 4 states: MHA

As many as 83 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been dispatched to four flood-hit states of Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka and Gujarat for rescue and relief operations, the Home Ministry said on Friday.

The current flood situation in different parts of the country and the preparedness of central ministries and agencies to deal with it was reviewed at a high-level meeting chaired by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai.

The Director General of the NDRF apprised the meeting that 83 NDRF teams have been positioned with all necessary equipment in vulnerable areas of the four flood-affected states, a home ministry statement said.

These teams are in addition to the 173 teams of Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.

An NDRF team comprises around 45 personnel.

During the last two days, Maharashtra, Kerala and Karnataka received extremely heavy downpour, the India Metrological Department (IMD) said.

In addition, Gujarat, West Madhya Pradesh and East Rajasthan are also expected to receive heavy rainfall till Saturday.

The control rooms in the MHA, NDRF, IMD and Central Water Commission are keeping a close watch on the situation round the clock.

They have, thus far, evacuated over 82,000 people to safer places and rescued 2,325 people, the statement said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is continuously monitoring the situation and instructing officials concerned to take necessary actions, it said.

After the review, MoS Rai directed the senior officers to take every possible measure to deal with the situation arising out of the South-West Monsoon and to extend all necessary assistance to the flood-affected states.

The NDRF, Ministry of Defence and other agencies involved in the rescue and relief operations have assured that requests from concerned states are being fulfilled on a real-time basis, the statement said.

Some parts of the country are facing battering flood conditions.

Torrential rains pelted various parts of Kerala on Friday as the toll in rain-related incidents, including landslides, in the last three days mounted to 22 with over 22,000 people being shifted to relief centres, officials said.

In Maharashtra, over two lakh people have been evacuated to safer places due to the floods that have wreaked havoc in five districts - Sangli, Pune, Kolhapur, Solapur and Satara, officials have said.

On Thursday, at least nine people drowned after a boat engaged in rescue work overturned near the flooded Brahmanal village in Palus tehsil of Sangli.