Maha CM asks officials to be ready with relief mechanism after IMD predicts rain squalls

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday asked authorities in several districts to be ready with rescue teams and relief mechanisms after the federal weather body predicted rain squalls.

The India Meteorological Department has predicted that some parts of the state may get rain squalls for the next four to five days, officials said. These are sudden, intense bouts of rain with gusts of wind for a few minutes.

Officials in districts in the Konkan, western Maharashtra, north Maharashtra and Vidarbha have been directed to be on full alert for such weather activities, according to a statement from the chief minister's office.


Some parts of the state received heavy rainfall on Wednesday evening, with cloudbursts being reported at some spots.

The National Disaster Response Force has been asked to coordinate with states in the south that share borders with Maharashtra as they too have received heavy rainfall in the past 48 hours, the statement added.

(with inputs from PTI)