14 deaths in 2 days as heavy rain continues in Gujarat

According to the state relief department, Panchabhai Dharjiya, 70, a resident of Dharpipla village in Ranpur taluka in Botad, died when a wall of his kutcha house fell on him. Dharjiya was rushed to hospital where he was declared dead.

Jivanbhai Jhulasana, 62, a resident of Kumbhara village, was swept away at a flooded causeway in Lathidad village of Botad. A search operation by the Botad nagarpalika rescue team is on.

In another incident, Tagabhai Bhil, a resident of Bajothiya village in Banaskantha district, was swept away in a swollen river near Palanpur.

A fire rescue team from the Junagadh Municipal Corporation was despatched on Sunday evening to Akha village of Vanthali taluka after the district control room received a report of nine persons stranded.

Over 3,850 persons where shifted from three districts — 3,816 from 19 villages of Bharuch, seven from three villages in Narmada and 28 persons from two villages in Vadodara were shifted to safer places.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF’s) rescued 20 people and 35 goats from of Nava Tavra in Bharuch after the water discharge from Sardar Sarovar Dam crossed 8.05 lakh cusec at 4 pm to over 9 lakh cusec by late evening.

At 7 pm on Sunday, the inflow at Indira Sagar Dam was 16.30 lakh cusec, against which 10.94 lakh cusec was discharged to the Sardar Sarovar dam.

The water level in Sardar Sarovar dam was 131.95 metre as the level of Narmada river at Golden bridge reached 29.5 feet at 8 pm. Two NDRF teams each at Bharuch and Ankleshwar have been put on stand-by.

Another 57 persons were rescued from four districts-Amreli, Junagadh, Rajkot, and Vadodara.

The entire state received rainfall on Sunday due to a low pressure area over West Madhya Pradesh and adjoining East Rajasthan associated with cyclonic circulation. In 12 hours till 6 pm, Sutrapada in Gir Somnath recorded the highest rainfall of 174 mm (6.85 inch) in the state.

Other areas to record heavy rainfall were Danta in Banaskantha that recorded 158 mm. Morbi received 154 mm of rain, while Mangrol in Surat received 148 mm.

As many as 149 roads, including one national highway and 15 state highways, were closed on Sunday. Major damage of roads was reported from Kutch, Mahisagar, Surat, Valsad, Rajkot, Devbhumi Dwarka, Junagadh, Porbandar.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a forecast of very heavy rainfall Banaskantha, Patan, Morbi and Kutch districts on Monday.

Alert along Dharoi dam

The flood control room alerted district administrations of Ahmedabad, Anand and Kheda about Dharoi Dam being on an alert. Water level in Dharoi dam is at 188.06 metres, which is 80 per cent of its capacity. If the inflow continues, 10,000 to 15,000 cusec water needs to be discharged to the Sabarmati river within 18 hours starting from 5 pm Sunday, authorities said. Villages and areas along the discharge path as well as low lying areas along the Sabarmati river have been put on alert.