MUMBAI: After facing criticism over rain-related deaths (16 at last count) and the closure of major highways due to landslides, the Maharashtra government has activated a coordinated, multi-agency disaster-response mechanism, which is being monitored 24/7 by the chief minister’s office (CMO) Updated on: Jul 7, 2026, 09:17:24 IST By Surendra P Gangan Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link MUMBAI: After facing criticism over rain-related deaths (16 at last count) and the closure of major highways due to landslides, the Maharashtra government has activated a coordinated, multi-agency disaster-response mechanism, which is being monitored 24/7 by the chief minister’s office (CMO).
At the centre of the response is the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) at Mantralaya, formerly known as the Disaster Management Cell.
The SEOC functions as the nodal coordination centre linking the government with district administrations, municipal corporations, central agencies and emergency response forces such as the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Railways, the Central Water Commission and, whenever required, the armed forces.
On Monday, CM Devendra Fadnavis visited the SEOC along with disaster management minister Girish Mahajan, chief secretary Rajesh Aggarwal and others.
Here, he video-conferenced with district collectors and told state and district administrations to be on high alert for the next 48 hours, as there is an alert regarding massive rainfall till July 8.
Fadnavis directed the Nashik administration to prepare contingency plans, given the forecast of rainfall of up to 300 mm in the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar belt on Tuesday.
“The authorities have been directed to prepare evacuation plans for people living in vulnerable areas,” said a CMO official.
NDRF teams have already been shifted to high-alert areas, while SDRF teams will be deployed wherever NDRF units are relocated.
Mahajan will be in Nashik to oversee the operations.
Officials attributed the government’s quicker response this monsoon to significant improvements in weather forecasting over the past two years.
“SEOC receives forecasts from the Bharat Forecast System and the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology,” said an SEOC official.
“Forecast accuracy has improved considerably, allowing us to issue early alerts to departments and district administrations.” Fadnavis is also deputing ministers to major disaster sites to supervise relief operations.
Girish Mahajan was dispatched to the site of the Mankhurd landslide, while public works department minister Shivendraraje Bhosale inspected the landslide near the entrance of the Connecting Link tunnel on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.
Sixteen people have lost their lives so far—six were killed in a landslide at Mankhurd on July 5, while another landslide claimed two lives in Patal village in Pune’s Maval taluka.
The remaining deaths were registered in Thane, Palghar, Satara and Raigad due to landslides, tree falls, house collapses and drowning.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Surendra P Gangan Surendra P Gangan is Senior Assistant Editor with political bureau of Hindustan Times’ Mumbai Edition.
He covers state politics and Maharashtra government’s administrative stories.
