Hundreds evaculated in central Gujarat due to floods in Mahi river

Vadodara, Sep 7 (UNI) Hundreds of people were evacuated to safer places after river Mahi flooded its embankments in central Gujarat districts of Panchmahals, Kheda, Anand and Vadodara.

The flash flood was caused following release of nearly 10 lakh cusecs of water from the Kadana dam in Panch-mahals district last night, as the water level in the dam kept on increasing alarmingly due to heavy rains in its catchment areas for the last couple of days.

Official sources said over 250 villages in the low-lying areas of these districts had been put on high alert and hundreds had been shifted as Mahi river, flowing at 413 ft at 0600 hrs today, was likely to touch its danger mark of 418 ft by this evening.

A report from Anand said, over 6,600 people from 41 villages were evaculated following flood threats.

In Vadodara, a 60-year-old woman identified as Janaki Kodi was drowned in the flooded Uchh river near Ambajethi village under Pavi-Jetpur taluka this morning.

The Vadodara district authorities have issued flood warning in three talukas of Padra, Savli and Vadodara rural and asked people living in the low-lying areas to move to safer places. Because of flooding in the Orsang river, 135 families of Dhokalia village under Sankheda taluka have been shifted to primary schools. The village was submerged in flood waters and senior officials rushed to the spot.

Vadodara district collector Rajiv Topno told UNI, all possible precautionary measures had been taken in flood-prone talukas as several rivers were in spate because of heavy downpour in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

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