Rain fury subsides in Gujarat, flood-like situation persists in parts
Ahmedabad, August 29
The situation in rain-battered Gujarat improved slightly on Thursday as the rainfall subsided. The authorities continue rescue and relief operations as Vadodara and some other parts of the state are still reeling under a flood-like situation due to overflowing rivers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to state Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel for the second consecutive day and took stock of the situation.
Till Wednesday, rain-related incidents claimed the lives of 26 persons in three days, the authorities said. More than 18,000 people have been relocated and around 1,200 rescued from flood-affected areas in the state. Choppers were also used by the security forces to transport people to safer locations, State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) officials said in its latest update.
Vadodara — the worst-hit city due to the recent downpour — heaved a sigh of relief as the water level of Vishwamitri river came down from 37 to 32 feet in the morning. However, several low-lying areas are still inundated.
Following heavy rains and the release of water from Ajwa Dam, the river had crossed the danger mark of 25 feet on Tuesday morning.
In a post on X, CM Patel wrote, "Gujarat has been receiving incessant rains for the last three days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called me up today and inquired about the situation. He expressed concern over the floods in Vishwamitri river and wanted to know about the relief and rescue measures being taken for the people of Vadodara."
The PM took stock of the relief measures in all the districts and assured all help to the state. He also instructed to ensure that proper steps are taken to prevent the spread of diseases post floods, Patel added.
In 24 hours, Bhanvad in Devbhumi Dwarka district recorded 295mm rainfall; Abdasa in Kutch received 276mm; and Kalyanpur witnessed 263mm rainfall. Twenty talukas in Gujarat received over 100mm rainfall during this period, as per official data. Mandvi taluka in Kutch recorded 101mm rainfall in four hours, ending at 10am.
The India Meteorological Department has given a warning of heavy rains in the coastal areas of Saurashtra and Kutch on Thursday. Teams of Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), its state counterpart SDRF, along with local administration, are engaged in relief and rescue operations in the most-affected districts of Vadodara, Dwarka, Jamnagar, Rajkot and Kutch, officials said.
