E-Paper
Maharashtra floods: Army ready for any contingency, says Lieutenant General SK Saini
Lieutenant General SK Saini, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command, assessed the ongoing operations at Hirabag point set up in Sangli.
As the Indian Army personnel continued their rescue operations along with the navy, and air force, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Command visited Sangli on Saturday. The senior officer agreed that the army is ready for any contingency in the area.
Lieutenant General SK Saini, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command, assessed the ongoing operations at Hirabag point set up in Sangli. The men under his command are also involved in rescue operations in three other states, including Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
“This operation started eight days ago. The southern states were affected by extreme weather phenomenon because of incessant rainfall. We are conducting rescue operations in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu. Besides these, we are on standby in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. The weather conditions are being monitored there,” he said.
The army has deployed 127 teams for relief work, including 51 engineer teams involved in rescue operations in all states. Twenty medical teams are being air lifted.
He agreed that the situation in Sangli remains grim even as water in Kolhapur started receding.
“We have laid down a set of priorities. Our first priority is to save lives. The people should be rescued and brought to safety. They should be provided with immediately source for sustenance,” he said.
The teams put together by the defence forces include medical staff as well. Recollecting the flood situation in 2018, Lieutenant General SK Saini said that the area has increased considerably this year. As the weather conditions improved and the sun started showing in Sangli, he said that helicopter mobility and air support will increase considerably.
“We are coordinating with all the three forces. Helicopter movement was affected due to bad weather. But now that the weather is improving, we are going to bring in helicopters in this area and reach out to more people,” he said.
When asked about the forces’ preparedness for unpredictable weather conditions, Lt General Saini said, “In case there is more rain in the coming days, we are geared up and we have all the equipment that is necessary to carry out any further rescue. They will continue to be here till the situation becomes normal.”
A major portion of the stranded population was rescued until Saturday. The operation is expected to continue until Tuesday or Wednesday.
