Torrential rains continued to lash several parts of Gujarat, following which around 25,000 people have been evacuated to safety during the last two days. A high alert has been sounded as more than 20 highways of the state got submerged...Torrential rains continued to lash several parts of Gujarat, following which around 25,000 people have been evacuated to safety during the last two days. A high alert has been sounded as more than 20 highways of the state got submerged.
The flooding has affected Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Anand, Patan and parts of Valsad districts in Gujarat. Around 11,000 people have been evacuated in Banaskantha district alone.
In an upside, the water level receded on Monday after which traffic movement was restored on the Ahmedabad-Rajkot and Kutch-Morbi National Highways. However, 19 state highways as well as 102 internal roads in various parts of state are still closed due to waterlogging.
A dozen teams of NDRF have been stationed in various parts of North Gujarat and Saurashtra. Personnel from the Army and the BSF have been also been deployed. Six more teams have also been sent to the affected areas.
Gujarat has so far received almost 56.61 per cent of the total expected rainfall. The arid Kutch region received maximum rainfall of 73.61 per cent, followed by Saurashtra (70.74), North (55.57), South (50.01) and East-Central (43.20 per cent).
Vadgam, Dhanera, Amirgadh, Palanpur and Dantiwada taluka of Banskantha district received rainfall of 97 mm, 91 mm, 83 mm, 68 mm and 61 mm respectively.
These places were followed by Umergam of Valsad (58mm), Deodar of Banaskantha (55 mm), Kaprada of Valsad (53 mm), Idar of Sabarkantha (52 mm), Tharad of Banaskantha (50 mm), Poshina of Sabarkantha (50mm), Siddhpur of Patan (48mm) and Vijaynagar of Sabarkantha (47mm).
The MeT Centre here predicted that heavy to very heavy rain would occur at several places in Gujarat during the next two days. It also warned of extremely heavy rain at some places in Banskantha, Sabarkantha, Patan and Mehsana districts tomorrow.
Meanwhile, copious rains caused floods in adjoining Rajasthan leaving thousands of people marooned.
A woman and her daughter were killed when the jeep they were travelling in was washed away by strong currents over a bridge across a canal in Kherwada police station limits in Udaipur in Rajasthan where downpour has resulted in inundation in Jalore, Pali and Sirohi districts.
Army and Air Force contingents have been rushed in to assist in relief and rescue operations. Four MI-17V5 helicopters were conducting sorties from bases in Jamnagar, Jodhpur and Phalodi. The road and rail network has also been affected in the region.
Incessant rain has thrown normal life out of gear in several areas in the three districts of otherwise parched Rajasthan, hitting road and rail transport. Two trains were terminated in Jodhpur Railway Division following waterlogging on Bhiladi-Samdari section.
