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The situation in rain-battered Gujarat improved slightly on Thursday as the rainfall activity subsided, but Vadodara and some other parts of the state are still reeling under a flood-like situation due to overflowing rivers while the authorities continue the rescue and relief operations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to state Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel for the second consecutive day and took stock of the situation. He also asked the CM to ensure that proper steps are taken to prevent the spread of diseases post floods.
Rain-related incidents have claimed the lives of 26 persons in three days till Wednesday, the authorities said earlier.
More than 18,000 people have been relocated and around 1,200 people rescued from flood-affected areas in the state. In some cases, choppers were used by the security forces to take people to safer locations, State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said in its latest update.
Vadodara, the worst-hit city due to recent downpour, heaved a sigh of relief as the water level of Vishwamitri river has come down from 37 feet to 32 feet in the morning. However, several low-lying areas are still inundated.
The river had crossed the danger mark of 25 feet on Tuesday morning following heavy rains and the release of water from Ajwa dam.
In a post on X, CM Patel said, "Gujarat has been receiving incessant rains for the last three days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called me up today on the second straight day and inquired about the situation."
"He expressed concern over the floods in Vishwamitri river and wanted to know about what relief and rescue measures are being taken for people of Vadodara," the CM said.
The PM took stock of the relief measures in all the districts of the state and assured all help to the state. He also instructed that proper measures for cleaning be taken to ensure that diseases do not spread after floods, Patel added.
In the 24 hours ending 6 am, Bhanvad in Devbhumi Dwarka district recorded 295 mm rainfall, while Abdasa in Kutch received 276 mm, while Kalyanpur in Devbhumi Dwarka witnessed 263 mm rainfall.
Twenty talukas in Gujarat received over 100 mm rainfall during this period, official data said.
Mandvi taluka in Kutch recorded 101 mm rainfall in four hours ending 10 am.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has given a warning of heavy rains in the coastal areas of Saurashtra and Kutch on Thursday.
Teams of Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), its state counterpart SDRF along with local administration are engaged in relief and rescue operations in the most-affected districts of Vadodara, Dwarka, Jamnagar, Rajkot and Kutch, officials said.