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Heavy rains claim 26 lives in Gujarat

All major trains from Ahmedabad and Vadodara to Mumbai have been cancelled till July 2 due to breaches between Palghar and Boisar stations on the Western Railway.

Road traffic between Mumbai and Vadodara has also been affected due to floods and uprooting of trees on the highway.

Many areas in central and south Gujarat had to go without electricity as power lines snapped, the sources said.

A high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad decided to activate the ERGCM to tackle the situation.

Control rooms would become functional at all district headquarters and they would be in touch with the state revenue control room in Gandhinagar, sources said.

A review committee comprising 50 senior officials has been set up to facilitate and monitor preparedness during the monsoon under the direct supervision of the chief secretary.

The chief minister has asked officials to ensure speedy disbursal of ex-gratia compensation to the next of kin of the 26 persons killed in rain-related incidents.

Pardi taluka in Valsad district in south Gujarat received the highest 900mm of rainfall even as many talukas of the arid Kutch region remained dry.

Four persons, engaged in digging out sand from the banks of the flooded Ambica river in Mahuva taluka of Surat district, were killed when their boat was swept away on June 26.

Rescuers are still searching for their bodies, police said on Friday.

Two persons were electrocuted in Songadh taluka while two others were swept away by flood waters in Vyara taluka, they said.

Eighteen deaths were reported from Navsari, Valsad, Baroda, Amreli and Sabarkantha districts, they added.

Nearly 8,000 people were shifted from low-lying areas to safer places in Valsad and Junagadh districts, and from Navsari and Billimora towns in south Gujarat.

As many as 2500 people were shifted to safer places in Valsad district during the last 24 hours. About 250 houses were damaged in the district.

In Una taluka of Junagadh, over 3500 people were shifted from low-lying areas and local authorities shifted another 2500 persons from Navsari and Billimora towns to safer places.

PTI

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