Maha govt urges RBI, SBI to make ATM operations normal

As flood-battered Sangli and Kolhapur districts struggle to return to normalcy, the Maharashtra government has urged the RBI and largest public sector bank SBI to make ATMs operations functional to ensure supply of cash.

At Sangli and Kolhapur, a massive cleaning operation was underway to ensure that water-borne diseases did not break out. A large quantity of medicines to prevent the spread of water-borne diseases, chlorine tablets for water purification, chemicals like DDT and bleach for cleaning has reached the affected areas.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has sent Mumbai's municipal commissioner Parveen Pardeshi to Sangli and Satara and ensure coordination and oversee the relief operations.

Pardeshi, an additional chief secretary who is part of the CM's core team of bureaucrats, had overseen relief operations in the aftermath of the Latur earthquake in 1993.

"Several teams of doctors are working on the ground round the clock," Santosh Andhale of MyMedicalMantra told DH, as he shuttled between Solapur and Sangli.

"While a large quantity of medicines has reached, what is needed is sanitary pads," Andhale said. He also revealed that once the situation on the ground improves, counselling of all flood-affected people will be taken up.

"While there is no outbreak of water-borne diseases, there are cases of anxiety, fear, stress, depression, " he said, adding that the Government Medical College - Miraj along with local psychiatrists will coordinate the efforts.

Fadnavis had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is regularly in touch with Home minister Amit Shah, Defence minister Rajnath Singh, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and petroleum and natural gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

After the next weekly Cabinet meeting, the Maharashtra government may seek a relief package from the Centre to tide over the crisis.

"Make available required machinery at all places to clean the flood-affected areas and coordinate efforts of government and NGOs for the post-flood relief," Fadnavis said.

Half a dozen ministers, including revenue minister Chandrakant Patil, water resources and medical education minister Girish Mahajan, health minister Eknath Shinde and cooperation minister Subhash Deshmukh are camping in flood-affected areas.