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Rajasthan: Helicopters come to thousands' rescue

July 05, 2007 15:25 IST
Hundreds of people were marooned on Thursday after incessant rains created flood like situation at Surayata village in Rajasthan's Pali district and helicopters were pressed to evacuate them to safer places, officials said.

A rail section between Pali and Bomadada railway stations also got sub-merged, and the passengers of Jodhpur-Banglore train were stranded at Pali station since early morning, Additional District Magistrate (Pali) Kalpna Agarwal told PTI over telephone.

All small dams and rivers were overflowing following heavy downpour in last two days in the district. Sojat recorded a maximum rainfall in the state of 24 cm, she said.

About a dozen people abandoned in Surayata, 35 km from district headquarters, were rescued and many more who stepped up on roofs would also be taken to safer places, she said.

Indian Railways has also taken up the restoration works of Pali-Bomadada
section near Marwar junction, she said.

Though the national highway from Jodhpur to Ahmedabad via Pali-Sirohi was still unaffected, but it could change, he said.

Heavy rainfall occurred at most of the places in the state since Wednesday.

Devgarh recorded the maximum rainfall of 21 cm followed by Marwar junction 18 cm, Jaitaran 17 cm, Bali 16 cm, Raipur 13 cm, Sumerpur 11 cm, Pali, Merta, Mount Abu 10 cms each, Mawali 8 cm, Bilara 7 cm, Nathdwara, Sayala, Sawaimadhopur 6 cm each and Pindwara, Pisangan and Degu 5 cm each.

Jaipur also received moderate to heavy rains recording a maximum rainfall of 4 cm in the morning.

The meteorological department has predicted that the south-west monsoon will further aggravate over the state by the weekend.
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