Alert sounded in downstream villages of Bhadar and Sankroli dams

Rajkot, July 30 (UNI) As many as 43 villages located downstream of Bhadar dam and four villages of Sankroli dam have been warned not to move near the river bed side and an alert has been sounded as both dams are overflowing, following heavy rainfall in their catchments areas, flood control room sources said.

Incessant rains continued to lash Rajkot, Junagadh and Amreli districts for the third consecutive day today.

Shetrunji dam of Bhavnagar and Hasnapur dam of Junagadh are also overflowing. However, no alert has been sounded to the downstream villages of the said dams.

According to a report from Bhavnagar, the gate of the Shetrunji dam has been opened due to heavy inflow of water.

Gate of the Bhadar dam of Rajkot district has also been opened by seven feet as the dam is overflowing, flood control room sources said.

No casualty has been reported in Rajkot district following incessant rains, collector control room sources said.

Bhavnagar-Ahmedabad highway was disrupted this morning as Kalubhar river was inspate and traffic was diverted via Vallbhipur, a report from Bhavnagar said.

The water level of 18 other dams of Rajkot, Amreli and Surendranagar districts has considerably increased, flood control room sources said.

Two kutcha houses in Mota Kotada village in Visavadar taluka of Junagadh district collapsed due to heavy downpour. However, no casualty has been reported from there, a report from Junagadh said.

One building in Kashivishwanath plot area in the city has been declared 'unsafe', fire brigade sources said.

Normal life was affected in the city as water-logging was reported in several areas such as Subhashnagar, Gandhigram Society, Jalaram Society, Marutinagar, Raiya Chokadi, Dharmanagar and Navathorala areas, fire brigade sources said.

There has been no significant rainfall in Jamnagar and Kutch districts, reports reaching here said today.

However, Kalyanpur taluka of Jamnagar district recorded 78 mm of rainfall during last 24 hrs, a report from Jamnagar said and added that in other talukas of the district rainfall was recorded less than 15 mm.

Rajkot city recorded 215 mm of rainfall till 1430 hrs, taking the season's total to 541.2 mm, weatherman said. Thirteen talukas of Rajkot district have recorded rainfall ranging from 35 mm to 200 mm of rainfall. Jetpur taluka received 200 mm of rainfall till 0800 hrs, while Wankaner taluka recorded lowest of 35 mm of rainfall, Collector control room sources said.

Many areas of the district have been flooded and people waded through knee-deep water.

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