india

Updated: Sep 16, 2019 00:57 IST

The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), headed by cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba, took stock of the flood situation in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on Sunday. NCMC directed that “immediate assistance” be rushed “to meet the crisis,” a spokesperson said.

The Indian Army has deployed about a dozen columns to rescue people for the affected areas. Each Army column comprises 70-80 soldiers with boats. An additional four columns are on standby in Rajasthan for deployment. In addition to the Indian Army, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed personnel to rescue people, the Union home ministry said. Senior officials of the ministries of home and defence, as well as those from the IMD, NDRF and Central Water Commission, attended the meeting. The chief secretaries and other senior officers from the state governments participated in the meeting through video conference, a statement said.

The stock-taking measure came at a time when large areas in several districts of Rajasthan were flooded after water was released from dams, forcing evacuation of thousands of stranded people, including school children. Educational institutions have been closed in affected areas and the administration has appealed to people to ignore rumours on conditions of dams and barrages.

In Madhya Pradesh, over 16,000 people from Mandsaur and Neemuch districts were shifted to safer places on Sunday after heavy rainfall caused water-logging, an official said. Heavy showers have been lashing the two neighbouring districts in western MP since last few days.