After conducting aerial survey of flood affected areas of Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced immediate relief of Rs 500 crore to the State Disaster Fund.
The Prime Minister assured to release more fund to the State Government after the survey of damage. PM Modi also announced to give Rs 2 lakh for kin of those who died due to flood and Rs 50,000 to those who injured in the natural calamity from Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. He gave assurance to give aid for individual and infrastructural losses in the urban areas once assessment of damage will be conducted by the Urban Development department.
He stressed on immediate evaluation of losses in rural areas, especially for crop insurance through modern technology to give immediate relief to farmers. ‘‘The Central Government will help the state to cope up the damage in agriculture, drinking water, infrastructure, electricity and others. All the central agencies will come in Gujarat and work in co-ordination with the State Government to bring normalcy in the State as early as possible,’’ he said. Modi praised the Vijay Rupani Government for responding quickly to handle the situation created due to torrential rain. The State Government has blue print for the rescue and relief operation and they would be supported for the purpose by the central Government, he said. He also appreciated social organisation that have come forward voluntarily to help people in flood affected areas.
Meanwhile, Modi held a meeting with the Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, former Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and senior State Government officials and reviewed the situation at Ahmedabad airport before he went for aerial survey.
Following torrential rains since last four days in most areas of the State, situation has become bad to worse particularly in North Gujarat districts of Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Aravalli and Patan districts. Dhanera and Patan towns coupled with many villages in the region have marooned due to flooding water.
Already teams of Indian Air Force, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Government agencies coupled with volunteers of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), charity and religious organisations have reached to the ground zero and initiated 24x7 rescue and relief operation to help flood affected people in the state. Two columns of army and four IAF helicopters have been deployed for the rescue operation.
In some areas of the North Gujarat region railway tracks have been completely washed out and as result of it at least 17 trains have been cancelled. Trains heading towards Northern India from Gujarat and Maharashtra are getting late due to heavy downpour and waterlogging, said Railway officials. Not only railway traffic, road traffic too hampered as transportation on around 376 roads in the State completely stopped. Six national highways, 20 state highways, 287 panchayat and 61 other roads are closed due to waterlogging and heavy damage.
Electricity supply in at least 500 villages in the flood affected areas disconnected. State administration has been working to restore the supply despite continuous rain. In the past 24 hours till Tuesday afternoon Banaskantha district received on and average 10 inches of rain. Banas River in the region is flowing over danger mark. As part of precaution, the rescue and relief teams have evacuated nearly 46000 people to safer places.
According to Deputy CM Patel, more than 6 lakh food packets along with potable water were despatched from Mehsana and Gandhinagar. These food packets are being distributed to people trapped in flooding waters through IAF helicopter, he added. Both the major political parties BJP as well as Congress have set up control rooms in order to assist people in the flood affected areas.
In the past 36 hours Tharad town has received the maximum 24 inches of rain, followed by Dhanera 20 inches, Dantiwada 18, Palanpur 15, Deesa and Diyodar 13 inches each, Patan 12 inches and Vadgam about 11 inches. The North Gujarat region has already received 95 per cent of its seasonal average of 659 mm. In all, the entire Gujarat at 534 mm has registered 66 per cent of its total usual seasonal average rainfall of 810 mm.
As many as 38 of the 203 dams in Gujarat have been put on high alert, 16 others on the alert and warnings have been issued at 18 others.
While Dholidhaja, Vansal and Nimbam dams in Surendranagar, Machchhu-1 and Ghodadharoi in Morbi and Kankawati dam in Jamnagar districts have received up to 90 per cent of their water storage capacity, 23 dams in Saurashtra, four in Kutch, four in Central Gujarat and one dam in South Gujarat are full to the brim.
Even in the commercial capital of Gujarat, Ahmedabaad more than 50 families were evacuated to safer places from the low-lying areas of the Sabarmati River. Entry inside picturesque Sabarmati Riverfront have been closed for the visitors as the Sabarmati River passing through the middle of the city flowing dangerously as water was released from Dharoi dam 70 km upstream of Ahmedabad.
“Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation is ready to receive the water releases and to face any eventuality. Teams of the police and administration have been deployed to assist people in case of any need,” said Municipal Commissioner Mukesh Kumar. River Tapi flowing through the Gujarat’s second biggest city Surat too is flowing dangerously bank to bank. local authority has been alerted to cope up any possible situation.