Over 55,000 shifted, death toll reaches 126, More NDRF teams to arrive

July 27, 2017
Gujarat

Gandhinagar:

Even as an estimated over 55000 people have been shifted to safer places in flood affected areas with more than 6000 including 1400 in Ahmedabad in last 24 hours, the death toll in the flood/rain caused incidents have also increased officially to 126 of which maximum 42 have been reported from worst hit Banaskantha district.

Revenue secretary Pankaj Kumar today said that of the 126 deaths since June 1, 72 were those who were either washed away in floods or drowned. 33 deaths were caused by lightening while 14 were caused by various related incidents like wall collapse etc, 6 electrocuted during rains and one person died owing to water borne disease.

He said that a large number of cattle deaths have also been reported of which over 800 were from Banskantha alone where attempts to restore power in 173 villages were still on.

The state government has announced an assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the families of each of the deceased who would also get an additional Rs 2 lakh each from Prime Minister Relief Fund.

Meanwhile the center has sanctioned 12 more NDRF teams for rescue and relief work in Gujarat of which 5 would come from Delhi, 4 from Chennai and 3 from Bhubaneshwar. Of these three were likely to be deployed in Ahmedabad where rain has wreaked havoc during last 24 hours with a maximum of around 8 inches of downpour. This prompted Chief Minister Vijay Rupani to himself visit the flooded areas of the city. He took a boat ride to oversee and sort of participate in the rescue operations himself in Narol area of the city. Even as life has been thrown out of gear in the city with several severe water logging, closure of underpasses, disruption of traffic and closure of educational institutions, the CM also visited the AMC control room in Paldi.

Mr Kumar said that in the last 24 hours Dhansura in Aravalli district saw maximum over 8 inches of rain. Maninagar and other adjoining areas in Ahmedabad saw around 8 inches.  After the heavy rains, a three storied old building collapsed in Shahpur area of Ahmedabad city tonight however fortunately no casualty has been reported.  Notably, around a dozen people had sustained injury in the city in various incidents of wall collapse during rains.

In all around 15 talukas have seen over 100 mm of rain while 33 have recorded over 50 mm.

In the rescue operation in Banaskantha and Patan district alone 6 columns of army, 15 NDRF teams, 6 BSF teams and 15 helicopters of the Indian Air Force are deputed. Over 1800 people in Mahesana and a large number from danger areas in Patan and Banaskantha were also shifted today in the wake of fresh flooding of river Rel and Banas from neighbouring Rajasthan and very heavy rain warning for next two days.

 

DeshGujarat

#Monsoon 2017 #NDRF

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