In anticipation of an intense monsoon season, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has strategically deployed 18 teams across Maharashtra to ensure swift rescue and relief operations. This move follows the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) projection of above-average rainfall for 2025, which has already begun to test the resilience of urban areas like Mumbai, according to Mid-day.
Between May 25 and 26, NDRF teams were actively involved in emergency operations across Pune, Solapur, and Satara districts. While local authorities successfully rescued nine individuals in Baramati and Indapur, NDRF units were mobilized to flood-hit areas in Phaltan (Satara) and Kurubavi (Solapur). A midnight rescue mission in Solapur saved six people, including a child, who had been stranded across a river due to rising water levels.
Currently, 18 teams from the 5th Battalion based in Pune are operating across the state. Of these, 12 remain on standby at the Pune headquarters, with three teams positioned in Mumbai, two in Nagpur, and one in Palghar.
The NDRF has identified several districts at heightened risk this monsoon, including Pune, Kolhapur, Sangli, Sindhudurg, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Thane, and Mumbai. These regions are vulnerable due to a combination of geographical features, dense populations, and complex river systems.
To strengthen urban flood management, the NDRF has incorporated modern technologies such as drone-based aerial surveys, real-time tracking through the BISAG platform, and specialized equipment like underwater cameras and body-mounted devices for divers.
In Mumbai, heavy pre-monsoon showers have already led to significant waterlogging in areas like Sion and Swami Vivekananda Road, causing disruptions in traffic and daily routines as commuters navigated submerged streets.
The IMD has forecasted 106% of the Long Period Average (LPA) rainfall of 868.6 mm for this year’s monsoon. While Central and Southern India are expected to receive surplus rainfall, certain parts of the Northeast and Northwest may experience below-normal precipitation.
As per a Republic World update this morning, weather alerts have been issued for various regions in Maharashtra: a ‘yellow’ warning for Mumbai, an ‘orange’ alert for Pune, and ‘red’ alerts for Satara, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, and Kolhapur—signaling the likelihood of extremely heavy rainfall within the next 24 hours.
