Situation improves in Gujarat

Ahmedabad, Aug 21: With rains subsiding, life is slowly returning back to normal in flood-hit Gujarat but the toll has mounted to 255 with 12 more deaths being reported from north and central Gujarat during the last 24 hours.

Nine people lost their lives in north Gujarat during the last 24 hours -- five deaths were reported from Mehsana, two in Sabarkantha and one each in Banaskantha and Patan districts. Three deaths were reported from Kheda in central Gujarat.

The situation in Radhanpur and Santalpur talukas, worst-affected in Patan district due to breach in the Bhad Tank, has improved with water level receding and the regions receiving no fresh rains today.

However, five villages in Radhanpur taluka and two in Santalpur taluka are still cut off.

Meanwhile, two SRP platoons and about 60 Army jawans have commenced relief operation with the help of boats in the four affected districts in north Gujarat.

The army personnel rescued 10 villagers who were trapped inside their houses at Nayka village in Kheda district. Another six people were rescued from Kodaria village in Dholka taluka in Ahmedabad district by an IAF helicopter flown from Vadodara air base.

About 75,000 people are still living in shelters provided by the civic administration in Gujarat, out of which'', nearly 48,000 people, mainly poor residents from the banks of river Sabarmati, are from Ahmedabad city alone.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi this morning made an aerial survey of several marooned villages in Ahmedabad, Kheda and Anand districts to review relief and rescue operations.

After the survey, Mr Modi held a high-level meeting and reviewed steps to control spread of water-borne diseases in the aftermath of the floods. He mooted house to house survey on war footing.

The meeting was attended by Education Minister Anandiben Patel, Minister of State for Home Amit Shah, Minister of State Saurabh Patel (Planning), Minister of State Anil Patel (Civil Aviation), and Chief Secretary Sudhir Mankad.

Ahmedabad district collector D Thara told UNI that the situation is normalising in the city and surrounding flooded villages, as water level is fast receding. She said, at present the authority is releasing 1.67 lakh cusecs of water from Vasna barrage on Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad as inflow is also 1.67 lakh cusec from Dharoi dam.

A report from North Gujarat said nearly 13,000 people were evacuated from Patan, Sabarkantha and Banaskantha districts in the last 24 hours, as Radhanpur town and at least 71 villages were flooded following heavy inflow into the Banas river.

The report said 53 villages are marooned in the worst affected Patan district, followed by 15 in Banaskantha and three in Sabarkantha.

Gujarat's lifeline - Sardar Sarovar dam on Narmada river, is still overflowing by five metres. However, Ukai dam on Tapti river, Kadana dam on Mahisagar and Dharoi on Sabarmati river were flowing below the danger marks.

Flood control room said 77 water reservoirs have been filled to their capacity. The authority has sounded high-alert at 105 water reservoirs, alert at 21 and warning at 14 others.

The Road and Building Department said vehicular traffic has been affected on 205 roads due to damages caused by heavy rains.

Of them, 56 are State highways while 149 are panchayat roads.

The Gujarat Health Department sources said, nearly 800,000 people were provided medical treatment. Besides, a massive cleanliness drive has been launched in the eight districts of Vadodara, Kheda, Anand, Bharuch, Surat, Dahod, Panchmahals and Gandhinagar.

In Surat, Rs 703.36 lakh were distributed in both rural and urban areas of the district as part of the cash doles announced by the state government.

Health teams have visited 132 rural and 385 urban centres so far in Surat district and the medicos have examined over 4.25 lakh people and treated 2.44 lakh of them. Municipal Commissioner Pankaj Joshi said from tomorrow, a micro-level cleaning operation would be launched by the civic body.

UNI