Seven columns of Army, three companies of SRP and 180 BSF Jawans are working round the clock in coordination with State machineries in flood-affected areas of Gujarat to normalise the situation by Saturday evening. As the rain has stopped, the relief and rescue operation is gaining momentum. The recent flood fury in the State has claimed 25 lives.
GR Aloria, Gujarat’s Chief Secretary said on Friday that the first priority of the State administration is to restore power supply to sources of drinking water. Already, road restoration work has been started, he said, adding that survey of damage is being conducted on war footing.
“Over 3,500 deaths of domestic animals were reported till now and work was already initiated to remove their bodies in the flood affected areas. NDRF teams and five IAF choppers are reaching those villages, which are not approachable by road due to flooding waters. Food packets are being dropped to these villages through these helicopters,” said Aloria. Troops of the Golden Katar Division of Indian Army in Ahmedabad have reached to places near Tharad village in worst affected Tharad village, where ever NDRF personnel couldn’t reach. Total seven columns of Army Jawans deployed from the division in the district. As on Thursday, they could rescue over 600 people and were able to deliver medicines to nearly 1000 flood affected people. Four rescue teams have also been deployed in another flood affected Kutch district in the State, said the sources.
Meanwhile, nearly 350 families in the low lying areas near Sabarmati River have been shifted to safer places following release of 2 lakh cusecs of water from Dhroi dam. 1200 people from villages on the banks of Sabarmati were given shelter at a school in Ahmedabad on Thursday night.