Narmada canal breach floods several village

Ahmedabad, Jun 11 (UNI) Sujatpura and several other villages of Kadi taluka of north Gujarat were flooded with water following a breach in the Narmada Canal near Sujatpura today.

State government swung into action and a rescue team along with boats were rushed to the spot. No casualty was reported. Chief Minister Narendra Modi has already left for Sujatpura.

State government spokesperson and Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas said that the 30 foot wide breach near Sujatpura village led to gushing waters in about a dozen surrounding villages. Sujatpura village was turned as an island as water-level rose to three to four feet early this morning. However, waterlevel has been receding steadily.

A 30 member team of Emergency Service of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has rushed to the Sujatpura village. Six boats have already been pressed into service while six air boats are about to reach the spot, Mr Vyas said.

He said that the main head of the canal at Asundra village near Kadi has been regulated. As a result the water level in the Canal has come down to two meters from five meters. Ministers Nitin Patel, Narottam Patel and Amit Shah have already reached the village and co-ordinating relief and rescue operations.

As many as 2,000 people of Sujatpura are affected due to the breach.

Authorities have made arrangements of food packets for them.

Mr Vyas said that government will make a thorough inquiry of the reasons behind the breach and government will take action, if criminal negligence of duty found by anybody.

UNI HT GR RL GC1507