As Maharashtra braces for the full impact of the 2025 monsoon, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has swung into action with preemptive deployments and emergency operations across the state. In a conversation with mid-day, Santosh Bahadur Singh, commandant of the 5th Battalion NDRF Pune, outlines ongoing rescue efforts, high-risk zones, urban flood readiness, and upgraded tech being deployed to tackle the crisis.

Could you share data on the number of rescue operations carried out by NDRF in Maharashtra since the onset of the monsoon?
From May 25 to 26, two teams — Team 05(K) and Team 05(F) — were deployed to Baramati and Indapur in Pune district after flooding in low-lying areas. However, local agencies rescued the stranded individuals (seven in Baramati and two in Indapur), so the teams were rerouted.