Improve response time during disaster, says Maharashtra CM Shinde as state braces for Monsoon

As Maharashtra braces for the monsoon, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday instructed officials to improve disaster response time.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held a meeting of the disaster management department on Friday over the monsoon situation in the state. Senior officers of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) also attended the meeting.

During the meeting, Shinde instructed departments to maintain proper coordination among themselves to ensure that no lives were lost in disasters under any circumstances.

Officers were also ordered to work in the field to make sure that everyone in the system remains vigilant.

Praising the army and the NDRF for the work done during the monsoon in Maharashtra last year, Shinde said, "Care should be taken to ensure that there is no lack of contact and communication under any circumstances. Complaints from people should be dealt with promptly by keeping the war room system in the Collectorate and Municipal offices ready," he said.

There were collapses last year. As a result, there is a need to be more vigilant this year, he said, adding that the municipality should take responsibility for relocating occupants of dangerous buildings to temporary shelters during heavy rains and arranging meals for them there.

Shinde further pointed out that he and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis will be available 24 hours "so that the administration reaches the last person in society."

The chief minister also expressed satisfaction that Mumbai did not witness traffic snarls and water-logging despite the metropolis getting 275 millimetres of rainfall during the day due to steps taken by the civic body and timely cleaning of drains by the railways.