Maha floods: Govt clears immediate aid for victims, plans NDRF camp in Mahad

"The cabinet has cleared a proposal to provide immediate relief to flood-affected people. The extremely heavy rainfall of the last week has caused havoc in several districts. We have started providing relief as per the National Disaster Response Fund norms," said PWD minister Eknath Shinde.

The Maharashtra government on Wednesday decided to provide immediate assistance including an amount of ₹10,000 each to those affected by the recent floods and other rain-related incidents in the state.

People stranded in flood waters are rescued Kolhapur in western Maharashtra. (AP file photo)

The state cabinet also decided to set up a permanent NDRF camp at Mahad in Raigad district.

"The cabinet has cleared a proposal to provide immediate relief to flood-affected people. The extremely heavy rainfall of the last week has caused havoc in several districts. We have started providing relief as per the National Disaster Response Fund norms," said PWD minister Eknath Shinde.

Among other things, affected families are also being given utensils of daily use, he told reporters.

“The state government will give ₹10,000 immediately to the affected people. More aid will be given after we receive funds from the Union government,” he said.

The cabinet also decided to pay ₹50 lakh to the kin of the employees of smaller municipal councils who died due to COVID-19, Shinde said.

Aditi Tatkare, who is guardian minister of Raigad, informed that a permanent camp of the National Disaster Response Force would be set up at Mahad in the coastal district where nearly 100 people lost their lives in landslides and other rain-related incidents.

“If an NDRF camp can not be set up -- because the proposal has to be cleared by the Union government -- we will set up a camp of the State Disaster Response Force. Land has been identified for it,” she said. Such a camp can cater to the coastal Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, Tatkare added.

The state cabinet also cleared a proposal for the implementation of ₹4,601 crore Swacch Bharat Abhiyan. It will continue till 2025 with the state bearing its share of ₹1,840.40 crore, said an official statement.

The government on Wednesday also decided to set up a state-level organic farming standardization centre in Akola district. At present, standardization certification is done by private agencies, which is expensive for farmers.