JOIN USPrime Minister Narendra Modi, who surveyed the flood-hit northern region of Gujarat on Tuesday, has announced immediate relief of Rs 500 crore from the Centre.
He also announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of those killed in the floods, and Rs 50,000 for the injured. “This would be in addition to the relief from the state government,” Modi said.
He also assured help from the Centre, “be it for crop loss or for repairing infrastructure”.
The prime minister, who arrived in Ahmedabad on Tuesday afternoon on his way to surveying the north Gujarat region, held a high-level meeting with Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, his deputy Nitin Patel, former chief minister Anandiben Patel and other senior officials.
Incessant rain over the past 36 hours inundated the north Gujarat districts of Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Patan. Tharad received 24 inches of rain, Dhanera 20, Dantiwada 18, Palanpur 15, Deesa and Diyodar 13 each, Patan 12 and Vadgam about 11 inches.
Three persons have lost their lives in Banaskantha.
Nearly 46,000 people have been sheltered in safe places in Banaskantha district till Tuesday evening, even as 1,000 people have been rescued so far.
About 472 villages are without electricity, while six national highways, 61 other roads and 287 panchayat roads are closed for traffic.
With 659 mm of rain, north Gujarat has received 90% of its average rain in the past 36 hours.
“The army has rescued over 113 people, while efforts are on to evacuate 30 to 40 more from Sirohi and Jhabadiya village in north Gujarat,” defence spokesperson Wing Commander Abhishek Matimaan said.
Scene in R’sthan, Odisha
In Rajasthan, rescue operations are being carried out in flood-hit Jalore, Sirohi and Pali districts. Nearly 19 people were rescued from Jalore, including seven who had taken shelter atop a tree to escape the swirling waters. Odisha is also bracing for floods, with three of the state’s major rivers flowing above the danger mark.