Gujarat continues to maintain its identity
as disaster prone state. This time it is flash flood due to heavy rains.
The continuous rain for almost seven days has made the situation worst
in many parts of the Gujarat, especially the south Gujarat and till date
there is no sign of the rain getting stopped. And still the matter of concern
is that the weather department is expecting more rains in coming few days.
More than 40 people have lost their
lives due to this flash flood. Around 342 villages around Surat, Navsari
and Valsad have got affected. 10 to 20 inches rain in Surat, Navsari
and Valsad district in 48 hours has forced around 25000 people to be shelterless.
The increasing water level in the rivers like Kaveri, Kokanganga
and Tapi have become the concern for the villages around them.17 death
has been noticed in the Bharuch district and 250 people have been caught
up in the Navsari district in the floodwater. Many have been forced to
migrate to the safer places. Some 50 villages around Daman have been
transferred to the safe area. Madhuvan dam on Damanganga River has noticed
the historical income of water.
There are no electricity as well as phone lines working in the villages of Surat, Dang and Navsari district.
Many roads have been blocked by the heavy flood, making the transportation more difficult. Baroda to Mumbai highway got jammed. All the trains from Ahemedabad to Mumbai have been stopped. The Daman Bridge, connecting Nani Daman and Moti Daman has been broken; which was built this year only.
The State Government is trying hard to cope up with the situation. Today Chief minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi visited the affected areas of Surat. Air force has been called in for the relief. Delay in the arrival of army has led to unrest amongst the public. At several places in Surat some of the Govt. vehicles were stoned.
Source: Gujarat Samachar, Sandesh
(News Papers)
Aaj Tak, Zee News, NDTV India (News Channels)