GANDHINAGAR: The BJP national president and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, L. K. Advani, on Saturday dropped his plan for an aerial survey of flood-hit Vadodara city and other areas in central Gujarat due to bad weather.

Accompanied by Chief Minister Narendra Modi, he visited some of the affected areas in Ahmedabad district before returning to Delhi. He hoped that the people in the State would face the situation as bravely as they did during other natural calamities in the past — earthquake, plague, dam disaster and cyclone.

Kalam's sympathy

A State Government spokesman said that President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam had sent a special note to Mr. Modi expressing sympathy for the flood-affected people. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had a detailed telephonic talk with Mr. Modi on the prevailing situation.

Ahmed Patel, political adviser to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, said he also talked to Mr. Modi though could not meet him personally.

Even as the intensity of the rainfall reduced over the south and central Gujarat regions, heavy rain had been lashing north Gujarat and most parts of Saurashtra since Saturday morning. Mehsana and Patan districts in north Gujarat and Surendranagar, Bhavnagar, Junagadh and Amreli districts in the Saurashtra region received about 250-300 mm of rainfall during the last 24 hours inundating villages and roads. Nearly 30 major dams have been overflowing while high alert have been declared in 37 others.

About 400 passengers of the marooned Indore-Gandhinagar Shanti Express, held up near Dakor since Thursday due to heavy floods, managed to find their way out and reached Dakor station.

At least 300 students are reported to be marooned in a Swaminarayan Gurukul in Kaira. An official spokesman said Army personnel with boats had been sent to rescue them.

6 more helicopters for relief operations

Our New Delhi Special Correspondent reports:

The Centre on Saturday pressed six more Air Force helicopters into service for rescue and relief operations in flood-hit areas of Gujarat.

While 150 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been deployed in Kheda, 400 more personnel are in the process of being deployed.

A meeting of the high-level inter ministerial committee, presided over by Home Secretary V. K. Duggal was held here to review the flood situation. The meeting was informed that flights between Vadodara and other parts of the country resumed on Saturday. Production in the Baroda refinery had also resumed. The latest report put the death toll at 108. President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has conveyed his condolences to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and the people of Gujarat following the loss of lives.

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