New Delhi: Several districts in Gujarat are facing acute flood situation as heavy rainfall lashed parts of the western state for the fifth consecutive day on Thursday. Vadodara is the worst affected with some areas of the city submerged under 10 to 12 feet of water.
Rain-related incidents claimed 19 more lives in Gujarat, taking the toll to 26 in three days, while around 17,800 people were evacuated from flood-affected areas. Further, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted extremely heavy rains in isolated parts of districts in Saurashtra on Thursday.
An Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter, aiding the Gujarat government amid the flood situation in the state, rescued four people from Devbhumi Dwarka on Thursday. The people were saved from the flood-affected Kalyanpur tehsil in Devbhumi Dwarka.
#WATCH | Gujarat: Four people rescued in an IAF helicopter, from flood-affected Kalyanpur tehsil of Devbhumi Dwarka district today. (Video Source: Information Department, Devbhumi Dwarka) pic.twitter.com/ZbTrzZsUXQ
— ANI (@ANI) August 29, 2024
People stranded in their houses and rooftops in Vadodara city were rescued and relocated to safer places by teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), its state counterpart SDRF and three columns of the Army deployed to undertake rescue operations.
The deaths were reported from Rajkot, Anand, Mahisagar, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Morbi, Junagadh and Bharuch districts. At least nine persons died in rain-related incidents, such as collapse of walls and drowning, in different parts of the state on Tuesday, an official release said.
#WATCH | Devbhumi Dwarka: NDRF rescued 95 people as flood-like situation continues in parts of Gujarat due to incessant rainfall.(Video source – NDRF) pic.twitter.com/VAlg3mIg0k
— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2024
Amid prevailing flood-like situation in several parts of Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to take stock of the situation, and assured the Centre's support to the state in tackling the natural disaster.
The CM ordered the deployment of five additional teams of the NDRF and four Army columns to assist the administration in rescue and relief operations in Vadodara. Meanwhile, six columns of the Indian Army are conducting rescue operations in the worst-affected areas of the state.
"In response to the severe flooding in multiple districts, the Indian Army has swiftly mobilised its resources to support the ongoing relief efforts. Following a request from the Gujarat State Government, six columns of the Indian Army are undertaking rescue operations to the worst-affected areas to provide immediate Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)," the Army said in a statement on August 29.
As per an official release, 140 reservoirs and dams, and 24 rivers in the state were flowing above the danger marks. Rains also disrupted the movement of traffic and trains as roads and railway lines were flooded. Out of 206 dams, 122 were put on high alert due to a sharp rise in their water levels, said the release.
(With agency inputs)