Rain toll rises to 28 in Gujarat

Rains continued to wreak havoc in Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions for the third consecutive day forcing the administration to evacuate several people from low-lying areas, even as the death toll in rain related incidents in the past three days rose to 28.

The worst affected areas were Jamnagar, Junagadh, Amreli and Bhavnagar districts of Saurashtra while districts of South Gujarat including Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat and Navsari has been receiving torrential downpour.

About 10 persons died in different rain-related incidents in Jamnagar on Monday, official sources said.

Similary four persons died in Junagadh district due to drowning. This has risen the death toll to 28.

According to flood control department officials, rains have claimed more than 60 lives in Gujarat since June 2007 with majority of them losing their life to lightning.

Several dams in the state including the Sardar Sarovar dam built on Narmada river have been overflowing.

Army has been asked to remain on standby to provide assistance to the people.

The district administration in Junagadh has evacuated over 3,500 persons from 14 affected villages most of which are situated on the banks of the Ozat river.

The rail traffic has been affected from both the sides, after flood waters washed off a section of the tracks in Junagadh district.

In Bhavnagar district, over 20,000 persons from Botad and Gadhada talukas were relocated to higher grounds after water from Kalubar dam was released.

Rail traffic on the Bhavnagar- Mumbai track has been affected after waterlogging in the railway tracks near Botad.

Meanwhile, the situation in Vadodara district has improved a bit with over 2,900 persons evacuated on Monday from Padra and Karjan talukas, beginning to return home, official sources said.

According to district administration officials the rain situation in both Anand and Kheda districts (which bore the brunt of the rain-fury last year) were normal and largely unaffected by the rains.

The Surat district administration is constantly monitoring the water level in the Ukai Dam on the river Tapi, which rose to 312 feet.

The outflow into the Ukai dam is currently over three lakh cusecs while over a lakh cusec is constantly being released from the dam to prevent flooding.

Last year, entire Surat city was flooded after over nine lakh cusecs water was released from the dam.