NDRF, Army conduct rescue operations in flood-hit areas of Marathwada, Western Maharashtra

The fully equipped teams of the 5th Battalion of the NDRF conducted rescue and relief operations in Beed, Dharashiv, Solapur and Ahlilyanagar districts.

By: Express News Service

Mumbai | September 23, 2025 10:03 PM IST

3 min read

solapur flood, marathawada flood, maharashtra,

Residents wade through floodwaters from the Sina River, which inundated roads and homes following heavy rain, in Solapur, Maharashtra, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (PTI Photo)

As heavy rains continued to batter districts in Marathwada and Western Maharashtra, the 5th Battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the helicopter unit of the Southern Command of the Indian Army conducted relief and rescue operations on both Monday and Tuesday.

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The fully equipped teams of the 5th Battalion of the NDRF conducted rescue and relief operations in Beed, Dharashiv, Solapur and Ahlilyanagar districts. These teams have been positioned in the region in response to the request by the local administration and considering the forecast of heavy to very heavy rains and possible flooding of low lying areas.

The teams have been supervised by Unit Commandant Santosh Bahadur Singh. In the Sadas Chinchole area of Majalgaon tehsil in Beed district, the NDRF team conducted a rescue operation throughout the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday to evacuate people trapped amid rising floodwaters. By morning, a newborn baby and a woman were safely rescued. So far, a total of 39 people have been safely evacuated from various affected areas of the district.

In Dharashiv district’s Kapilapuri village, people were trapped inside their homes due to severe flooding. Despite challenging conditions, the NDRF team worked overnight and successfully rescued 182 citizens. The situation was also critical in Solapur district, from where the NDRF team safely rescued 82 citizens. Assistance was also extended to move domestic animals to safer locations. In Ahilyanagar district, the NDRF team began rescue operations on Tuesday evening and has so far rescued 17 people from Karjat tehsil.

The 5th Battalion of the NDRF is headquartered at Sudumbare near Talegaon in Pune district and has 18 teams comprising 45 personnel each. The teams are equipped with boats, rescue equipment and the team members include engineering, paramedic, technical experts and also a dog squad. The configurations of these teams change according to the nature of the emergency.

Meanwhile, a helicopter formation of the Army launched a rescue operation in Dharashiv on Monday. The deployment was in response to an urgent requisition from the civil administration, for flooding situation in Lakhi village of Paranda taluka in Dharashiv district, following incessant rains over the previous two days that had completely inundated the area.

“Residents were reported stranded on the rooftop of a structurally weak house, with immediate danger to life. Responding without delay, Army Aviation helicopters from the Thar Raptors Brigade were deployed despite adverse weather conditions. Demonstrating exceptional skill and resolve, Army pilots successfully evacuated 27 stranded citizens from the affected area, bringing them to safety,” said a press communication from the Army.

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