Floods in Gujarat; BJP and Opposition play blame game over Narmada water
The Hindu
Rescue operations underway in Gujarat as heavy rains cause flood-like situation; over 12,000 people shifted to safer locations. NDRF teams deployed to rescue 600+ people. Opposition parties accuse govt of delayed release of Narmada waters, causing floods in 5 districts. Govt denies charges, says water released due to heavy inflow from MP.
Over 600 people stranded in flood waters were rescued and almost 12,000 people were shifted to shelters and safer locations amidst heavy rains lashing Gujarat and creating flood-like situations in several districts of the State on September 18.
Owing to incessant rains, Narmada dam and nine other reservoirs continued to overflow for the second day on Monday, prompting the state authorities to deploy the NDRF teams and shift the people from vulnerable areas to safer locations.
In a press release; the government said that approximately 11,900 people from low-lying areas of districts including Vadodara, Bharuch, Narmada, Dahod, Panchmahal, Anand and Gandhinagar have shifted to safe shelters, where their food and health-related services are also being taken care of.
The Chief Minister said in a release said that he is in coordination with the district collectors of the respective districts affected by heavy rains and presently 10 contingents of both NDRF and SDRF have are deployed in rescue operations at various places.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is expected in parts of Gujarat.
On September 18, the heavy rains battered parts of central, north and Saurashtra regions as more than 100 talukas recorded heavy rainfall since September 17.
Meanwhile, politics over the release of Narmada waters from Sardar Sridhar dam that led to floods in Nardana, Bharuch and parts of Vadodara district, intensified after the opposition Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the Gujarat government of delayed releasing of the waters to coincide with the Prime Minister’s birthday on September 17.
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