Rains continues to lash Gujarat, 28,000 shifted to safer places

About 28,000 people have been shifted to safer places from low-lying areas due to the flooding caused by heavy rains over the past several days in various districts in the state.

The heavy rainfall has paralysed daily lives in various districts, especially in south Gujarat and Saurashtra regions.

The government on Tuesday said that since the onset of monsoon 69 persons have been killed, mostly from lightning but none due to "negligence" of authorities.

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Gujarat revenue minister Rajendra Trivedi said that 18 teams each from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed across the affected places for rescue operations. He said that the heavy rains have flooded the low-lying areas in several districts, forcing the authorities to evacuate the locals to safe locations.

Trivedi said that a total of 28,000 people have been shifted till Tuesday. Out of them, about 18,000 are staying in relief camps while 9700 have returned with water level receding.

The weather condition is not likely to improve in the coming few days with the prediction of more rains. Officials said that 13 districts including Jamnagar, Rajkot, Morbi, Devbhumi Dwarka in Saurashtra, Kutch, Chhota Udepur, Bharuch, Narmada, Surat, Tapi, Dang, Navsari and Valsad in south Gujarat are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rains from July 13 to July 17.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited the badly-affected districts of south Gujarat including Chhota Udepur, Narmada and Navsari to take stock of the situation.