The Indian Navy and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have done preemptive deployment and laid groundwork for the imminent cyclonic storm Nisarga in coastal districts of Maharashtra and Gujarat, and also for possible situations due to onset of monsoon along the western coast. Till Tuesday, 15 teams of the NDRF were deployed in coastal areas of Maharashtra including Mumbai, and 17 more were deployed in Gujarat. Five more teams are being airlifted from Visakhapatnam for deployment in Maharashtra. The Navy has mobilised its rescue and diving teams, which have been deployed in naval areas of Maharashtra, Karwar, Goa, Gujarat, Daman and Diu. Anupam Shrivastava, commandant of 5th Battalion of the NDRF, which is headquartered at Sudumbare in Pune, said, "Fifteen teams from our battalion have been deployed in coastal areas of Maharashtra till now. These include three in Mumbai, four in Raigad, two each in Palghar, Ratnagiri and Thane and one each in Sindhudurg and Navi Mumbai. Five more teams are being airlifted from a battalion in Visakhapatnam for deployment in Maharashtra coastal area. Each team comprises 30 to 35 persons." One more team of NDRF has been kept on standby for Pune. NDRF and Navy officials said they are keeping a close watch on the situation in Raigad, because of the possible landfall of Nisarga near Alibag, and also in Mumbai to make sure that there is swift response. NDRF teams have already undertaken surveys of their respective areas. Mumbai-headquartered Western Naval Command is coordinating the Navy's response during monsoon and Cyclone Nisarga. The Command has mobilised adequate resources for flood relief, rescue and diving assistance in the event of excessive rainfall and flooding, and is liaisoning with respective state governments on the Western seaboard. In Mumbai, the Maharashtra Naval Area will be on standby with five flood rescue teams and three diving teams throughout the monsoon season. These teams are stationed at various naval areas across the city to enable early response over a larger area and are fully equipped and trained for rescue operations. Recce of known flood-prone areas has been undertaken, officials said. The respective area and station commanders of the Navy from Maharashtra, Karwar, Goa, Gujarat, Daman and Diu are in touch with the state authorities, NDRF and State Disaster Response Forces to be able to respond to a crisis situation in the shortest possible time.
