Maharashtra Minister Shamburaj Desai on Saturday directed the police to step up night patrolling in Thane district during monsoon.
Desai, who was reviewing the rainfall and flood situation in the district, said the police were the first point of contact for people during calamities and hence, all machinery should be at hand even at night.
Collector Ashok Shingare, Police Commissioner Jai Jeet Singh, Thane Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar, his Navi Mumbai counterpart Rajesh Narvekar and other senior officials and legislators attended the review meeting.
The district guardian minister directed officials to get all C-1 category buildings, classified as most dangerous, vacated on priority, and ensure that proper transit camps are set up for people living in these structures.
The collector informed the meeting that out of the 646 buildings, only 50 per cent had been vacated.
Addressing the media later, Desai said the district administration had evacuated more than 1,200 people and provided accommodation for them. However, 750 of these residents had returned to their homes.
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The collector also informed that the district had received an average of 140-150 per cent rainfall this season and three persons had lost their lives in rain-related incidents in the past three days.
A total of 22 fatalities have been reported so far this season, he said.
The official said that Kalu and Ulhas rivers in the district were flowing just below the danger mark, and the dams were also getting filled.
A total of 6,677 families were rescued during the monsoon, and of them, only 325 are in the camps now, he said.
The collector said that as many as 11,008 houses had collapsed and 53 suffered partial damages in the district so far this season.
