Army help sought to rescue marooned people

Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, Aug 4 (UNI) The Chhattisgarh government today sought deployment of Army helicopters to rescue several thousand people marooned by the flood waters of Indrawati and Shabari river in naxalite-affected Dantewada district following heavy rains.

The state government helicopter had already been pressed into service to drop food packets to the stranded people who had shifted to hillocks and other government buildings. Several policemen were also stranded after flood water entered Errabore and Injaram police stations.

Dantewada Collector K R Pisda said the situation was alarming as water level of Indrawati and Shabari rivers were rising. Road link from Dantewada to outside world remain snapped as the rivers and rivulets were submerged and culverts damaged at many places.

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil promised Centre's assistance when Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh contacted him today seeking deployment of Army helicopters.

The Chief Minister is in the state capital due to the Assembly session.

Official sources said helicopters left for Dantewada from the Air Force Station at Gorakhpur.

Few thousand people were stranded in Konta town and Bhopalpatnam as flood waters entered the low lying areas.

In Jagdalpur town also, residents of low lying areas on the bank of Indrawati river had been shifted to safer places.

In the interiors, the situation was grim as outside help remained a distant possibility with road link snapped at many places.

UNI XC-SP SB DS1407