Gujarat rains news: With the incessant rains coming to a halt in Gujarat on Wednesday, nearly 24,000 out of over 31,000 people, who had been shifted to safer locations, started returning home. With 14 persons dying in rain-related incidents in the 24 hours till Wednesday morning, the death toll of such incidents since July 7 rose to 31, Disaster Management Minister Rajendra Trivedi said.
But no fresh casualties were reported later in the day, officials said. The state government directed district collectors to expedite the payment of compensation to the next of kin of those who died in rain-related accidents.
In a related development, National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) Presidential nominee Droupadi Murmu's scheduled visit to Gujarat on Wednesday was postponed in view of the rain situation. Heavy rainfall had thrown normal life out of gear in south and central Gujarat and Saurashtra-Kutch regions in the last few days, creating flood-like situations in low-lying areas with several rivers in spate.
Trivedi told reporters that 23,945 out of 31,035 persons who were evacuated from flood-hit areas have returned home, while the remaining ones are still in shelters provided by the government.
A compensation of Rs 4 lakh, paid to those whose kin die due to natural calamities, has been disbursed, and district officials have been asked to speed up the payment of compensation to remaining families, the minister said.
In 12 hours till 6 pm on Wednesday, a few districts of south and central Gujarat and Saurashtra received between 100 and 184 mm rainfall, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy rainfall in some places in south Gujarat and Saurashtra districts such as Dang, Navsari, Valsad and Gir Somnath in the next two days.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel reviewed the situation in the rain-affected districts of Junagadh, Gir Somnath in Saurashtra region and in Navsari, Dang and Valsad in south Gujarat, his office said.
The CM directed the administration to immediately stop the movement of people on flooded roads and causeways, and coordinate rescue and relief operations with the teams of National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force, Patel's office said.
According to the IMD, rainfall occurred at most places over south Gujarat and Saurashtra-Kutch region and at many places over north Gujarat region during the 24 hours ending Wednesday morning.
Extremely heavy downpour was recorded in isolated places in Bharuch and Kutch districts, and very heavy rainfall was recorded in Aravalli, Dang, Navsari, Vadodara, Tapi and Surat and Kutch districts, it said.
Earlier in the morning, minister Trivedi had said that three national highways in Kutch, Navsari and Dang districts were blocked due to the damage caused by rains while 51 state highways and over 400 rural roads had also suffered damage.
Between 6 am and 10 am, parts of Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Dang and Amreli districts received rainfall between 47 mm and 88 mm. The heavy rains also led to water levels of various reservoirs going up. As many as 30 reservoirs now have 70 per cent or more water stock. The state's largest Sardar Sarovar Dam is 48 per cent full, according to Trivedi.
(With inputs from PTI)
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