Flood-like situation in Rajasthan: Army deployed to rescue people

, Aug 11: Army has been deployed in rescue and relief works in Kotkhawda area near here where roads and houses inundated following heavy rainfall during the last couple of days. With the Army personnel evacuating people and pumping out water and no rains since last night, the situation is improving gradually, an official said today. Situation in Dausa, where few villages faced flood-like situation following torrential rains, is also improving.

"One Army column has been deployed in Kotkhawda (Jaipur) following requisition by the district administration. More than 100 personnel moved with engineering equipments and boats for rescue operations and other Army columns are also on standby for flood relief in the state," according to a defence spokesperson.

Sub Divisional Officer (Chaksu) Mahesh Narayan said 2,000 food packets have been distributed, one thousand in Chaksu town and remaining in Kotkhawada and Thikaria Gujaran and nearby areas. "There is no rain since last night and the situation is returning to normalcy.

People from low lying areas have been shifted to safer places and there is no panic in the area," he said, adding, the rain water was accumulated in 4-5 villages. Schools remained closed in the district today as heavy rainfall was foreseen but the weather remained mainly dry today.

People from low lying areas have been shifted to safer places

In Dausa, Lalsot town was the worst-affected where 138 mm rainfall was recorded yesterday. Houses and roads also inundated in Ramgarh Pachwara and Nangal areas also which recorded above 100 mm rainfall. The rains claimed lives of three children in Dausa. Sunhari (13), Kalu (12) were killed yesterday and Puja (8) on Saturday in rain-related incidents in two separate villages in Lalsot town. Dausa District Collector Muktanand Agrwal said people were in safe places now and nobody in the affected areas was stranded.

"Teams of district administration and civic bodies conducted the relief works and shifted people. Arrangements are also being made to pump out the accumulated rain water," he said. The Collector informed that losses to civilians worth Rs 1.22 crore have been assessed due to rainfall in Lalsot town alone and the report has been forwarded to the state government for sanction of budget so that affected people could be compensated adequately as soon as possible.

The losses pertain mainly to the loss of three lives, livestock and goods in shops, he said, adding, survey to assess losses in other parts of the district is also underway.

According to MeT department, maximum rainfall recorded till morning today since yesterday was in Ramgarh Pachwara in Dausa where 33 mm rains occurred. Lalsot (Dausa) and Makrana (Nagaur) received 14 cm rains while Bhinai (Ajmer), Parbatsar (Nagaur) and Dataramgarh (Sikar) recorded 13, 12 and 11 cm rains respectively.

PTI