700 stranded on hilltop

Palanpur, Aug 17 (UNI) As many as 700 people from villages around Amodra have been stranded atop the hilly Vajaynagar, a taluka town of the Sabarkantha, after an embankment of a huge lake developed cracks.

According to Deputy Collector P P Patel, the incident occurred yesterday near Pal Chita near Vijaynagar when the lake was damaged due to incessant rains and inflow from a swollen Hatmati river.

District Collector B H Ghodasara rushed along with a team of officials to the spot. Also 5,000 food packets and equal number of water packets have been sent from Himmatnagar.

Mr Patel said those stranded have been staying on the hilltop since their huts were submerged yesterday. The situation turned worse when water from Hatmati river too gushed into the already swollen lake.

District Planning officer R N Pandya, who participated in the rescue operation said, ''We could not contact the stranded people as the landlines and cellular mobiles were out of order.'' According to information reaching here, food packets are being supplied with the help of ropes and boats. Pandya also said attempts were being made to use light vehicles to supply food and water. ''From Thursday the Government has started a community kitchen for preparing food,'' he said.

''However, the water is slowly receding and so it will be easier to reach those stranded and serve the food packets and water.'' Mr Pandya added.

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