Heavy rainfall over past week has triggered devastating floods in various districts of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka and many areas are still waterlogged. Indian Coast Guard was one of the first responders towards providing aid to the general populace at the request of civil authorities which is also one of the charter of duties of ICG, by promptly despatching Disaster Relief Teams (DRT) with inflatable Gemini boat and life saving gears to the affected areas.
ICG DRTs reached areas rendered unapproachable due to water inundation especially in Chiplun & Mahad districts of Maharashtra and Umlijoog, Khargejoog, Bodjug Island and kinnar village in Uttar Kannada district of Karnataka and with dedicated efforts evacuated the stranded persons to safety and provided required relief material. At Goa, Coast Guard aircraft have undertaken aerial assessment of Ganjem Dam, Usgaon and Codli areas. Coast Guard helicopter has air dropped approximately 100 kgs of relief materials including food packets and drinking water for the stranded people. ICG efforts have translated in saving of 215 precious lives under the current rescue operation till today across these three states. The services of Coast Guard air station at Ratnagiri are also being extended to IN and IAF aircrafts for airlifting of NDRF teams, relief material and facilitating rescue operations across the affected regions. In addition to the already deployed teams, the Coast Guard DRTs as well as ships & aircraft are standby at high readiness for immediate mobilization for exigencies, if any and a close coordination with local administration is being maintained.