Mumbaikars can hope for a flood-free city this monsoon season as 43 large pumping stations have begun operations in order to prevent floods during the rainy season this year.
BMC officials informed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of the status of the pumping stations during a monsoon preparation review meeting.
According to reports, nearly 3,000 beds have been kept ready for emergency needs that could arise in the rainy season. Similarly, the speed of trains will be controlled in the ghat regions and along the Konkan railway route.
The disaster management control room and centres will work round the clock, all through the week.
The Chief Minister was informed that 939 villages in the Konkan region were prone to landslides, and preventive measures had been initiated there by state authorities.
The Air Force and the Western Naval Command have also been requested to arrange for helicopter services, air ambulances, large and small vessels respectively, to be used in case of emergencies. Ten teams of disaster relief forces have also been activated.
Vital desilting work has also been carried out in the Savitri and Vasishthi rivers, keeping in mind the impact of the previous floods.
At the meeting, disaster management minister Girish Mahajan had raised the issue of floods caused in villages along riverbanks after dam water was released.
He said that coordination among various departments was necessary in order to avoid villages on the riverbanks being flooded. He also expressed a need for a structural audit of various weak bridges, in order to avoid accidents. Traffic movement on such bridges is also prohibited.
A presentation on disaster management preparedness was done by Bhalchandra Chavan, the Director of Maharashtra's Disaster Management Authority.
The Divisional Commissioners of Konkan, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Amravati and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar were also among those present for the crucial meeting.
