With an eye on effective disaster response during the monsoon, the Jharkhand government has deputed a 30-member unit of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in East Singhbhum district. The deployment was approved by the Disaster Management Department on the request of Deputy Commissioner Karn Satyarthi.
The team arrived in Jamshedpur on Thursday and was immediately pressed into action, successfully carrying out relief and rescue operations after a drowning incident in a reservoir in Jadugoda. The unit comprises four officers and 26 trained personnel equipped to respond swiftly to floods, waterlogging, drowning cases, gas leaks, and other emergencies.
Until now, NDRF teams had to be requisitioned from Ranchi, Patna, or neighbouring regions whenever an emergency arose, often causing delays in critical response times. In past incidents—including the MGM hospital accident, major floods, and gas leakage from a tanker on the highway—assistance from the force had been sought.
Deputy Commissioner Satyarthi stated that the proactive move was necessitated by the rising likelihood of floods, increasing river water levels, and water accumulation in low-lying urban and rural areas during monsoon. “We had sent a proposal to the Home, Jail, and Disaster Management Department, highlighting the need for a dedicated NDRF team in the district. The state government has given approval for the deployment,” he said.
With the stationing of this dedicated NDRF unit in East Singhbhum, the district administration expects a significant strengthening of its disaster preparedness and the ability to conduct prompt relief and rescue operations when needed.
Meanwhile, Chaibasa in West Singhbhum district recorded the highest rainfall in Jharkhand over the past 24 hours, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reporting 69.6 millimetres of rain as monsoon activity picked up pace across the state.
Most regions experienced widespread light to moderate showers, accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds. According to IMD forecasts, the spell of unsettled weather is set to continue for at least the next three days.
On Saturday, July 5, isolated heavy rainfall is expected over northern Jharkhand, while thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching speeds of 30–40 km per hour may affect scattered areas. Similar conditions are likely to prevail on Sunday, July 6, particularly over north-central and adjoining southern and eastern districts.
Weather officials said the increase in rainfall is due to several active systems influencing the region. The monsoon trough at mean sea level currently stretches from Bikaner through Sheopur, Khajuraho, Daltonganj, and Digha, extending into the northeast Bay of Bengal. In addition, an upper-air cyclonic circulation remains positioned over north Odisha and neighbouring parts of Gangetic West Bengal between 1.5 and 5.8 kilometres above sea level. This system tilts southwestward with height, further enhancing monsoon conditions.
