Death toll in landslides, floods in Maharashtra rises to 149, state to set up NDRF-style mechanism in affected districts

New Delhi: The death toll in various rain-related incidents, including floods and landslides, in Maharashtra, rose to 149 on Sunday (July 25, 2021). This has also led to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announcing that due to the recurrence of these disasters, a separate NDRF-style mechanism will be set up in all the affected districts.

Thackeray during his visit to flood-affected Chiplun also said that a financial review of the flood damage in the state will be carried out in a couple of days.

"Considering the repeated occurrence of these disasters, a system on the lines of the NDRF will be created in all the affected districts. The SDRF will be further strengthened," the CMO Maharashtra said after Thackeray's visit.

"We will also put a flood control system in place to ensure that such incidents do not happen in the future," the CMO Maharashtra added.

The CMO Maharashtra informed that Thackeray has also said that haphazard announcements won't be made about the compensation for the sake of popularity and that they will take a thorough review of the flood situation in the whole state and then make announcements. 

"We will also review the aid that needs to be sought from the Central Government," the Maharashtra CM said.

Haphazard announcements won't be made about the compensation for the sake of popularity.

We will take a thorough review of the flood situation in the whole state and then make announcements.

We will also review the aid that needs to be sought from the Central Government. — CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) July 25, 2021

Thackeray stated that he has already given instructions to the administration to ensure that technical issues do not hold up compensation. 

"Directions have been given to the district collectors to provide food, medicines, clothing immediately, and other essentials to those affected," he added.

Considering the repeated occurrence of these disasters, a system on the lines of the NDRF will be created in all the affected districts.

The SDRF will be further strengthened. — CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) July 25, 2021

Heavy rains earlier this week had triggered landslides in some areas of Maharashtra including the deadliest one at Taliye village in the Raigad district. 

On Sunday, 36 more bodies were found in Satara and Raigad districts, while 64 people are still missing. So far, 50 people have been injured in these incidents. A total of 2,29,074 people have been evacuated from the affected districts in the Konkan region and western Maharashtra to safer places.

#MaharashtraRains UPDATE
25/7/21
Heavy rains in KonkanDiv
Water-logging/flooding
@NDRFHQ OPS CONTINUE
@6NDRFVADODARA action
At Ambewadi,KOLHAPUR
Safe Evacuation of citizens@HMOIndia @BhallaAjay26 @PIBHomeAffairs @PIBMumbai @ANI @PIB_India @DDNewsHindi @PTI_News pic.twitter.com/DPmR1pmsCi — DG NDRF (@satyaprad1) July 25, 2021

The state government said that 60 deaths were so far reported in Raigad, 21 in Ratnagiri, 41 in Satara, 12 in Thane, seven in Kolhapur, four in suburban Mumbai, and two each in Sindhudurg and Pune.

A total of 875 villages in Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara and Pune were affected by the torrential rains.

Uddhav Thackeray is due to visit Western Maharashtra on Monday to assess the damage in that region after the rains.

(With agency inputs)