Maha rains: From hospital bed, Eknath Shinde conducts meeting; issues orders to 3 party ministers
Mumbai, July 6
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday reviewed the state's severe flood situation directly from his hospital bed. Despite being on intravenous saline support, he conducted a high-level meeting via video conferencing to assess the extensive damage caused by continuous heavy rainfall in Mumbai, Konkan, and Raigad.
He strictly directed ministers and administrative officials to expedite rescue operations and ensure immediate relief reaches the affected citizens.
For the past four days, relentless torrential rains have caused widespread devastation across the state. Mumbai, Thane, Pune, and the Konkan region have borne the brunt of the downpour, severely disrupting daily life. In Konkan, rivers have begun breaching their danger marks, while Raigad faces a similarly critical situation. Monitoring the crisis closely, Dy CM Shinde continued to oversee management operations despite being hospitalised. He has mobilised Shiv Sena party workers, ministers, MLAs, and MPs to assist citizens on the ground.
Earlier this morning, he initiated another video conference to issue fresh directives. He evaluated the district-wise flood status, checking the availability of relief materials and tracking which political leaders were active on the ground. He instructed leaders to visit the affected spots immediately, meet with residents to understand their grievances, and coordinate closely with local administrations to provide urgent aid.
Dy CM Shinde issued specific directives to Raigad and Ratnagiri-based Ministers Bharat Gogawale, Yogesh Kadam, and Uday Samant, ordering them to strictly monitor waterlogged areas in Mahad and across the Raigad district. The ministers have been ordered to personally visit disaster-hit zones and safely relocate stranded citizens to secure shelters.
In his capacity as the Guardian Minister of Mumbai, Dy CM Shinde held a virtual meeting with Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide from the hospital. Reviewing Mumbai's monsoon response, he commanded all civic officials to hit the field and address complaints raised by local ward corporators with utmost seriousness.
Highlighting the recent rise in tree-falling incidents across Mumbai, Dy CM Shinde ordered the immediate removal of hazardous, precariously leaning trees to avert future mishaps. He further directed the civic body to secure open manholes and thoroughly audit landslide-prone areas across the city.
Dy CM Shinde has been hospitalised for the last three days due to exhaustion and a throat infection. Officials have confirmed that his condition is now stable and improving. A photograph from his virtual meeting recently surfaced on TV channels, showing the Deputy Chief Minister conducting state business with saline IV lines attached to both his hands.
Following reports of a landslide in the Nagothane area, Minister Bharat Gogawale, after Dy CM Shinde's directive, immediately left for Raigad. He will personally supervise the ongoing rescue and relief operations and assess the surrounding flood conditions. After inspecting the site, Gogawale is expected to submit a comprehensive situational report to Dy CM Shinde.
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's good that he's working from hospital but the real test is how fast relief reaches people. Last year many villages in Konkan waited days for help. Hope this time is different. 🤔
Impressive dedication. In my country, politicians would take sick leave indefinitely. At least someone is taking monsoon preparedness seriously.
Arre yaar, I appreciate his dedication but why wait till the situation becomes this severe? Every year same cycle - heavy rains come, politicians make promises, then we forget until next monsoon. Need permanent solutions like better drainage in Mumbai. 😐
That photo of him on TV with saline lines - it really shows his commitment. But I hope his health recovers fully. Politics is demanding, but health comes first. Get well soon, sir! 🙏
At least he's giving clear instructions - remove dangerous trees, secure manholes, check landslide areas. These are basic but often ignored things. Let's see if the BMC actually follows through. Usually these directives get lost in paperwork.
My family is in Raigad and the situation is really bad there. Glad to see Minister Gogawale personally went to Nagothane after the landslide. At least some accountability is being shown. Hope this translates into actual help
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