PM announces ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh for the deceased and Rs. 50,000 for the injured
Raigad/New Delhi: At least 36 persons were killed and hundreds trapped as incessant rainfalls triggered three landslides in the district on July 23, 2021. Helicopters have been pressed into service to rescue the trapped people.
Rains continue to lash Maharashtra, which has experienced the heaviest ever rains in the month of July. Reports say patients from a COVID-designated hospital had to be rescued in boats after floods in the Vashishti river in Chiplun town of Ratnagiri district inundated the city following continuous rain for 24 hours.
Rescue teams from Navy, National Disaster Relief Force, Coast Guard apart from local relief teams have been deployed in the worst-hit areas as the Met office issued red alerts for several parts of the state warning that heavy rains will continue for the next few days.
Five Indian Navy’s flood rescue teams equipped with Gemini rubber boats, first aid kits and rescue gear have been deployed at Chiplun and two in Mahad. A total of seven naval rescue teams had departed by road for deployment to the Ratnagiri and Raigarh districts on July 22 from Mumbai.
Airlift of marooned personnel from Raigarh district is also being undertaken. One Seaking 42C Helo from INS Shikra, Mumbai departed for rescue at Poladpur/Raigad during early morning hours on July 23. More naval rescue teams are on standby for deployment at short notice in Mumbai.
An NDRF team of 10 personnel with approximately one-ton load has also been flown in by IAF to Ratnagiri. The IAF is also positioning two Mi-17V5s and two Mi-17s for flood relief operations. Another helicopter is standing by at Pune for any emergent requirement.
The Indian Air Force stated today that it had received a message for requirement of flood relief operations in Chiplun and Khed towns at around 1.30 am on July 22, 2021, but a Mi-17 IV helicopter could get airborne from Mumbai for Ratnagiri only at around 3:40 pm and landed at Ratnagiri at 5 pm, once the weather permitted resumption of flights. Bad weather did not permit any further operations in the evening, the IAF stated. It added that that operations resumed today with the helicopter deployed at Ratnagiri along with another one flown in from Mumbai. It said today, a helicopter from Ratnagiri got airborne at 11:35 am, carried out reconnaissance and rescued two people before landing back at Ratnagiri.
In New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled loss of lives due to landslide and said the situation in the state due to heavy rains was being closely monitored and assistance is being provided to the affected. He announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh to be given to the next of kin of those who lost their lives and Rs. 50,000 to those injured.
– global bihari bureau
