Floods likely to worsen in south Gujarat

The Narmada river, which was flowing 1.919 metres above the danger mark at the Golden bridge near Bharuch in South Gujarat on Saturday morning is likely to swell further, official sources said.

More than 2,000 people in 14 villages of Bharuch and Baroda districts have been evacuated as a precautionary measure.

Meanwhile the situation continued to be grim in flood-ravaged Dange, Bulsar, Gandhinagar, Sabarkantha, Kheda and Ahmedabad districts due to unabated rain since Friday. About 20,000 people have already been evacuated.

The worst-affected places are Bayad, Megaraj, Malpur and Modasa taluka in Sabarkantha district and Kapadvanj. Mehmadabad, Nadiad, Mahar and Thashra in Kheda district, and Dhanap, Chiloda, Cheod, Vasana and Kanpur in Gandhinagar district. In Ahmedabad district, Dehgham taluka is badly affected by water-logging.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the current monsoon has shot up to 231, following nine deaths reported in different parts of the state in rain-related incidents.

Army and State Reserve Police have been engaged in rescue operations in Kheda, Sabarkantha, Bulsar and Gandhinagar districts.

UNI