High alert as fresh floods threaten Central Gujarat

Ahmedabad, Aug 19 (UNI) Thousands of people were today evacuated from several parts of Central and North Gujarat following release of 12 lakh cusecs water from Kadana and Dharoi dams into Mahi and Sabarmati rivers respectively.

Army has been called in Kheda district to tackle any eventuality.

A technical team comprising 50 Army personnel with two boats have arrived, district Collector R R Varsani said.

About 10 people have been trapped in a Shiva temple in Bhiloda of Panchmahals with water completely flooding the shrine.

High alert has been sounded in 33 villages of Panchmahals, 42 villages of Anand and four of Kheda district after authorities decided to release nine lakh cusecs of water from Kadana dam, flood control department sources in Anand said.

Heavy rains have also disrupted inter-district ST transport services. The national highway from Ahmedabad to Delhi beyond Palanpur has been closed as the water level on the highway is waist-deep. And those areas hard hit are Himmatnagar, Godhra and Mehsana. Only 88 per cent ST bus traffic is now plying.

All buses bound to Madhya Pradesh are being halted at Indore. With Kadana dam overflowing into Mahisagar river, road transport in Panchmahals district too has been hit. Bus traffic between Baria-Dahikot, Lunavada-Vardhari, Santrampur-Ditvaas and Santrampur-Munpur has come to a complete standstill.

Worst hit is Bhiloda taluka of Sabarkantha district that received 354 mm rainfall during the last 12 hours. As many as 275 people have been evacuated 100 from Samlaji, 75 in Dhansura and 100 on the Hathmathi river side, near Himatnagar while 325 others are likely to be evacuated if the rains continue, District Collector of Sabarkantha BH Ghodasariya said.

Also two water tanks in Rola in Megharaj taluka and Bhakhara in Vijaynagar taluka have damaged standing crops in about 200 acres of land. Vehicular traffic has been badly affected on Unjha-Vasnagar, Mehsana-Vijapur as several culverts have been damaged while Vasnagar-Kada Road has been washed away blocking the vehicular traffic on the main roads connecting Gandhinagar.

While in Banaskantha district, Dantiwada dam has been flowing below the danger level. ''However in view of increasing inflows from Rajasthan, we have started releasing 10,000 cusecs from the dam. All affected talukas, inculding Deesa, Dhanera and some places in Patan district have been alerted,'' District Collector Hareet Shukla said.

In Palanpur, large tracts of lowlying land near Ladbi riverbed that was encroached upon by the builders.

Several localities are now in two to eight feet deep water resembling an islands in Visnagar, Palanpur, Deesa, Idar and Modasa, said sources.

Sources also said release of water from the dam was necessiated as rains continued to lash North Gujarat districts of Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Mehsana overnight. This is the fourth time this season that the Central Gujarat is facing renewed threat of floods.

About 3,000 people in 10 villages in Lunavada and Shehra talukas near Kadana dam have been asked to move to safer places. About 3.6 lakh cusecs of water is being released from Dharoi dam. It can go upto 4.21 lakh. At 1200 hrs, the outflow was two lakh cusecs and the water level had just matched the full level, irrigation department sources said. Also, 25,216 cusecs of water is being released from Vasna barrage. People living in low-lying areas in Ahmedabad have been advised to move to safer places.

The outflow of Vanakbori dam which has an 'ungated' structure, was 4.86 lakh cusecs, while that of Ukai dam, it was 1.97 lakh cusecs, about 3000 cusecs more than its inflow.

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