Gujarat toll is 70; several villages isolated

Rain-related deaths in Gujarat have touched 70 with the worst-hit Amerli district in Saurashtra accounting for 27 of them. Over 10,000 people have also been evacuated from the region. 

“Around 70 people died due to heavy rains,” Gujarat state health minister and spokesperson Nitin Patel said.

Deaths were reported from Amreli (27), Rajkot (4), Bhavnagar (3), Surat (2) and one each from Bharuch and Valsad districts, State Relief Commissioner D N Pandey said.

However, district control room officials put the toll at 41, with 36 deaths in Amerli, three in Bhavnagar and two in Rajkot.

Data from the state control room revealed that around 1,500 people in Amreli, 4,000 in Rajkot and 100 in Bhavnagar were shifted to safer places. Nearly 60 villages in Amreli are flooded due to overflowing rivers and remain cut off from the rest of the state. 

The situation improved slightly on Thursday as rains stopped in most parts of the state. Met department said Valsad in south Gujarat received 7 mm of rains since 8.30 am on Thursday, while the rest of the state remained dry.  

The depression over Gujarat on Wednesday moved northeastwards and weakened into a low pressure area over Northwest Madhya Pradesh and adjoining South Uttar Pradesh.

However, the situation remained grim in Gujarat’s flood affected areas as most people could not return home due to power failure and water logging. State government engaged four Indian Air Force helicopters to distribute food packets, while two choppers remained on stand by. 

The government has also begun surveying damage to properties in Saurashtra and would issue financial aid in ten days time. 

Gujarat’s average rainfall touched 21.40 per cent thanks to the heavy rains in the last 48 hours, while Saurashtra received 38 per cent of the average rains for the season. 

Nine of the 137 reservoirs in Saurashtra have filled up to 90 per cent and 14 of them up to 70 per cent. The state issued high alert to monitor the situation.