The Hindu : National : Red alert after heavy rain in Gujarat

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Wednesday, Jun 29, 2005

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National

Red alert after heavy rain in Gujarat

Manas Dasgupta

South and central parts of the State hit, 25,000 people moved to safer places

AHMEDABAD: The authorities have declared a red alert in Bulsar, Navsari and Broach districts in south Gujarat and the Union Territory of Daman following heavy rainfall and floods in the region.

More than 25,000 people affected by the floods have been shifted to safer places in south and central Gujarat and some parts of the Saurashtra region in the State as most of the rivers are in spate inundating hundreds of villages. At least 1,300 people in three villages in Bulsar district have been marooned by the swirling waters of the Purnea.

Train services between Ahmedabad and Mumbai and Delhi and Mumbai via Vadodara have been badly affected as the tracks between Vadodara and Broach are under two to four feet of water. The Delhi-Mumbai services, however, were restored late on Tuesday after water receded while the train running from Ahmedabad to Mumbai was diverted from Anand to Godhra as the track had developed cracks between Vasad and Ranoli stations near Vadodara. Most of the trains were running behind schedule while several long-distance trains in the morning were cancelled.

At least eight persons have died, four in Vadodara district, in floods, wall collapse and electrocution, taking the toll in the current monsoon to 31. At least eight persons were injured when lightning struck a house in Faizal society in Dani Limda locality in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.

With heavy intake of water in the Madhuban dam on the Daman-Ganga river, the sluice gates of the dam were opened threatening the Union Territory of Daman where the authorities took all necessary measures to avoid any calamity. A message received here said the authorities had asked the Army to remain stand-by.

Besides, south Gujarat, the Vadodara city and district received heavy to very heavy rainfall during the last 24 hours while Kalavad taluka in Jamnagar district in the Saurashtra region received more than 300 mm rainfall in a single day in a sudden cloudburst totally disrupting life.

The rainfall almost in the entire south and central Gujarat regions since yesterday was between 150 to 250 m.m. while other parts of the state, including the water-starved north Gujarat region, also received moderate to heavy showers during the day.

Almost all the rivers in south Gujarat are flooded while those in the central Gujarat, including Vishwamitri running through the Vadodara city, are in spate. In the Saurashtra region, many of the dams reserved for drinking water have started overflowing.

The weather office has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall all over the state during the next 48 hours causing more worries for the authorities.

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