Army evacuate flood-hit in Gujarat

The army has been pressed into service to evacuate 600 marooned people at villages Haldarvas and Kothipura in Kheda district of central Gujarat after river Vatrak overflowed its banks and flooded the surrounding area.

Official sources said that 13,000 people have been moved to safer places in Bharuch, Baroda, Kheda and Sabarkantha districts following floods in the Narmada, Vatrak and Mazoom rivers, while 7,000 heads of cattle have been shifted to safer places in Bharuch and Baroda districts. The authorities have arranged for food packets to be supplied to affected people in these districts.

The Narmada river, which crossed the danger mark of 7.32 metres on Sunday morning was flowing at 8.35 metres at 7 am on Monday at the Golden bridge near Bharuch in south Gujarat, threatening the people of Bharuch city, Ankleshwar, Nadod, Jhagadia and people of Baroda taluka.

The authorities said the level of the Narmada was likely to reduce to 7.80 metres by 3 pm if rain stopped in the catchment areas of Madhya Pradesh.

The death toll in the current monsoon in Gujarat on Monday shot up to 221 after lightning claimed one person in Sabarkantha and another died in a house collapse at Banaskantha.