Cabinet Secy chairs high-level meet over floods in four states

Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting and reviewed the prevailing flood situation in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Gujarat, directing that immediate assistance be provided to the states to resolve the crisis.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has stated that there has been very heavy rainfall in these states over the past few days, and predicted that more rains are expected in Gujarat, Maharashtra and coastal Karnataka over the next two days.

According to officials, rescue and relief operations will be scaled up in these states in view of the IMD forecast.

At the meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), Sinha took stock of the current situation, preparedness, rescue and relief operations in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Gujarat, they said.

He also directed that immediate assistance, as sought by the states, be provided to meet the crisis, they said.

As of now, 55 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are deployed in these states and 19 more are expected to reach either by Thursday night or Friday morning, the officials said.

As many as 16 columns of the Army, 30 rescue teams of the Navy and Coast Guard along with helicopters, aircraft and boats have been pressed into service, they said, adding that additional boats are also being deployed in Maharashtra and Karnataka.

It was also directed to release necessary advance from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to the affected states, the officials said.

The agencies concerned were also advised to undertake immediate work relating to crop insurance claims, they said.

Senior officials of the Ministries of Home, Defence, Water Resources as well as those from the NDRF, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Central Water Commission attended the meeting.

Chief Secretaries and other senior officers from the state governments also participated in the meeting through video conference, the officials added.