Maharashtra floods: Sharad Pawar says VIPs should avoid visiting affected areas as they affect rescue ops

Mumbai: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said visits by VIPs to flood-affected regions should be avoided as they affect rescue and relief operations. Talking to reporters, Pawar said he can say based on his personal experience that except the chief minister, deputy chief minister and guardian ministers, others who are not directly linked to the relief operations should avoid such visits. These VIP visits put unnecessary pressure on local machinery and authorities and divert their focus from rescue and evacuation work, the former Union minister said while talking about his party’s contribution to the flood relief work. “I generally do not miss visiting such areas, but this time, I am avoiding so that the state machinery will not get diverted from its work,” he said. On Maharashtra governor BS Koshyari’s visit to flood-affected areas on Tuesday accompanied by suspended BJP MLA Ashish Shelar, Pawar quipped that the governor may help the state get funds and more compensation from the Central Government. “If he (governor) trusts him (Shelar) more there is nothing wrong in it. His (Koshyari’s) post is important to get more funding for the state,” Pawar said. The NCP will send medical teams and relief material to flood-affected people in the state in the next two-three days, Pawar said. “NCP welfare trust will distribute kitchen as well as blanket kits to 16,000 families affected (by floods and rains) in six districts of Maharashtra. Some food items will be distributed as well,” he said. “As per the available information, 5,000 families were affected each in Ratnagiri and Raigad districts, 2,000 families were affected each in Kolhapur and Sangli, 1,000 in Satara, and 500 in Sindhudurg. We have prepared kits for distribution containing some kitchen utensils, blankets and face masks among other items,” he said, adding the cost of this material is Rs 2.5 crore. Responding to a question on heavy rainfall and whether floods are man-made, he said, “A long-term policy is required to address this issue. Construction activity in flood zones is a challenge and in some cases, it can be addressed”. Commenting on how he would pursue the demand for more relief from the Union government, Pawar said, “Final figures (about the damage caused in flood and rain) are not yet available. Once these figures are finalised, we can take them up with the Centre. The damage assessment is not yet finalised. Once that report is available, we can find out how much aid can be given by the Centre to Maharashtra. We will meet officials accordingly,” he added. The toll in rain-related incidents in Maharashtra rose to 192 on Monday after the recovery of 28 more bodies, most of them in Raigad, the state government said. So far, 2,29,074 persons have been evacuated from the flood and rain-affected affected areas and moved to safer places, the government said in a statement.