After days of heavy rains in Mumbai, the situation in city and other parts of Maharashtra is under control, CM Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday as the state capital saw respite from torrential rains that crippled the metropolis a day earlier, reported the PTI.
CM Fadnavis stated that all necessary precautions regarding disaster management are being taken by deploying NDRF and SDRF jawans in areas being lashed by heavy rains in the state.
“Water discharge from dams is being managed, and the government is in touch with neighbouring states to coordinate release as per our requests,” Fadnavis told reporters, reported the PTI.
Torrential downpours crippled Mumbai and the metropolitan region on Tuesday, leaving low-lying areas submerged, stopping local trains on tracks, and severely impacting normal life.
The situation eased on Wednesday as the rains took a break, barring intermittent showers.
“The overall rain situation in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra is pretty much under control, though some areas were still witnessing heavy rainfall,” CM Fadnavis said.
He reiterated that crops on 14 lakh hectares were damaged and assured government aid to affected farmers after due assessment.
The chief minister emphasised that any assistance to farmers can`t be announced on the basis of the rains in the last four days.
Heavy rains occurred in the last week and also in the last four consecutive days. There are set methods and parameters under the NDRF Act. Panchnamas (on-spot inspection of damage) must be carried out first, and only then can such help be announced, he said.
“We have already issued instructions to conduct an assessment of damage,” CM Fadnavis added.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Wednesday said that the Congress has urged the Fadnavis-led government to provide an urgent assistance of Rs 50,000 per hectare to the farmers affected with the recent heavy rains.
Sapkal has written to CM Devendra Fadnavis and demanded to declare a `wet drought` and provide aid to the farmers, reported the PTI.
Incessant rains over the past few days in various parts of the state, including capital Mumbai and its metropolitan region, threw life out of gear. Hundreds of people had to be shifted to safety due to flooding, which also damaged crops on a large scale.
In a letter addressed to CM Fadnavis, Sapkal said that due to the recent downpour, floodwaters have entered agricultural lands, severely damaging standing crops.
(with PTI inputs)
