Heavy rain maroons R’sthan dist as road links cut off, three more die
MONSOON FURY Barmer, Pali and Sirohi also inundated; casualties rise to 12 over a week; nearly 8,000 relocated
JAIPUR/BARMER : Incessant rain since Friday night and opening of dam gates inundated several parts of the south-western Rajasthan – Jalore district the worst hit.
Three more people died in Jalore, taking the number of rain-related casualties in the last one week to 12. About 550 people have been rescued and 8,000 relocated to safer places, officials said.
Heavy downpour alsoaffected life in Barmer, Pali and Sirohi districts, where many villages are on high alert. The Army, NDRF (National Disaster Response Force), SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) and district administration launched relief and rescue operations in the affected districts.
Chief minister Vasundhara Raje made an aerial survey of the affected areas in Pali and Sirohi districts. She could not land because of bad weather and returned from Sojat. The CM asked all in-charge ministers to help in relief work.
“With continuous rain since Friday, the situation worsened in the district (Jalore). Many villages are inundated and road links disconnected,” said LN Soni, Jalore collector. “The overflowing Jawai dam added to rain pain in the district. Relief work is going on.”
He said over 550 people have been rescued, and 2000 relocated from Jalore and Ahore areas. Damage to a bridge between Jalore and Ahore snapped road connectivity to the district head- quarters. An official from Pali district said, “Of the 13 gates of Jawai dam, 11 were opened on Friday evening to release water. Seven gates were closed in the morning and four are open.”
Jalore superintendent of police Vikas Sharma said, “The situation in Jalore is critical; all places are waterlogged. 8,000 to 10,000 people have been relo- cated to higher places.”
He said, “The number of casualties in last week has increased to 12. Two bodies were recovered from a vehicle in Raniwada and another person was found in Sanchore.”
Sources said 128 villages in Jalore were inundated and people were struggling to get necessities, such as vegetables and milk. “Continuous rain lashed Jalore, Sirohi and Pali districts. Jalore was inundated after gates of Jawai dam were opened. Food and other necessary items are being distributed,” said Hemant Gera, disaster management and relief department secretary.
In Barmer, 36 villages faced a flood-like situation. Relief camps have been set up at eight places, sheltering around 200 people.
A team led by district collector Shivaprasad Nakate rescued about 40 people on Saturday; another 40 people stranded near Bhadresh power plant were also rescued.
Power production at the plant went down from 1050MW to 129MW because of heavy rain; four units of the plant have been shut due to water-logging.