Raigad Guardian Minister Aditi Tatkare has said the Maharashtra Dairy Department has given its in-principle nod to provide five acres of land to set up a base camp of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) at Mahad.
“Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Sunil Kedar confirmed the move in a meeting at Mantralaya,” she said. With the Konkan region being prone to cyclones, especially Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, the need was felt for a centrally located NDRF camp.
“The State has submitted a proposal to the Centre for further approval,” she said.
District Collector Nidhi Choudhari said Raigad’s geographical location exposed it to natural calamities. “The district has a large industrial network, the Mumbai-Pune National Highway and Expressway, Mumbai-Goa National Highway, waterways and railway lines. The ‘Golden Hours’ are very important for rescue operations in emergencies. If the NDRF team is permanently stationed at Mahad, rescue work can be speeded up and loss of life can be avoided. Usually, we wait for the team to arrive from Pune,” she said.
