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The Gujarat government is assessing losses in Amreli district and parts of Saurashtra affected by recent heavy rains.
Heavy rain due to a deep depression over the Arabian Sea this week left at least 70 people dead across several districts of Gujarat. Saurashtra has been the worst hit, with several areas receiving 200 mm of rainfall in a day.
“The water has receded and rescue operations have been completed. A survey is on to assess the loss. The affected, including farmers, will be compensated. Measures are also being taken to avert epidemics," Gujarat’s Health Minister Nitin Patel said.
The state government has announced compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the victims.
As the depression moved towards Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, it was estimated nearly 400 villages in Amreli district had been affected. Several villages in Amreli, Porbandar and Bagasara were cut off as roads were washed away. Nearly 1,700 houses in Rajkot have collapsed.
Around 300,000 hectares of land in Amreli district have been damaged. "We have formed 61 teams to assess damage across the district," said Pradipsinh Parmar, Amreli’s district agriculture officer. The Gujarat agriculture department estimates kharif sowing at 1.34 million hectares, or 15 per cent, till June 22. Of this 1 million hectares are in Saurashtra.
Over 1,500 villages and towns in Saurashtra were affected by power cuts and 40 were still blacked out, government sources said.
The Paschim Gujarat Vij Company estimates damage to 11,000 electric poles and 1,000 feeder lines. "Assets worth over Rs 18 crore have been lost. The figure may increase as restoration work is on and some areas are still unreachable," said Sandip Kumar, managing director of Paschim Gujarat Vij Company.
The rain also took a toll on Asiatic lions with reports of five deaths in Amreli district and several others missing. According to SC Pant, principal chief conservator of forests, the lions have a tendency to move towards riverine ecosystems and flash floods can be lethal. The forest department is trying to trace the lions in Amreli district, and so far have found 20-25 of them in the riverine area.
"There is no inundation inside the Gir National Park, no deaths have been reported from the park. Lions outside the boundary, about 45-50 km away near the Satrangi river belt, have been affected," Pant said.
Operations at the Pipavav port commenced with improved weather conditions. Sections of the railway line connecting Pipavav to Surendranagar have been damaged, suspending cargo movement from the port. Railway engineers are assessing the damage.
"The force majeure declared on June 24, 2015, continues due to the prevailing conditions," Gujarat Pipavav Port has informed the Bombay Stock Exchange. While operations have resumed, around 5,000 containers are piled up at the port, which handles 2,400 containers a day.
Ports like Magdalla do not work during the season, but the all-weather Porbandar and Okha ports are working. Gujarat's major port, Kandla, is operational and did not shut operations on Wednesday.
The Tourism Corporation of Gujarat is working on the monsoon festival at Saputara in early July. “Wildlife tourism has not been hit as Gir remains closed for tourists during the monsoon. The water at Amreli has receded and no impact on tourism is anticipated,” said Kamlesh Patel, chairman, Tourism Corporation of Gujarat.
Heavy rain due to a deep depression over the Arabian Sea this week left at least 70 people dead across several districts of Gujarat. Saurashtra has been the worst hit, with several areas receiving 200 mm of rainfall in a day.
“The water has receded and rescue operations have been completed. A survey is on to assess the loss. The affected, including farmers, will be compensated. Measures are also being taken to avert epidemics," Gujarat’s Health Minister Nitin Patel said.
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The state government has announced compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the victims.
As the depression moved towards Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, it was estimated nearly 400 villages in Amreli district had been affected. Several villages in Amreli, Porbandar and Bagasara were cut off as roads were washed away. Nearly 1,700 houses in Rajkot have collapsed.
Around 300,000 hectares of land in Amreli district have been damaged. "We have formed 61 teams to assess damage across the district," said Pradipsinh Parmar, Amreli’s district agriculture officer. The Gujarat agriculture department estimates kharif sowing at 1.34 million hectares, or 15 per cent, till June 22. Of this 1 million hectares are in Saurashtra.
Over 1,500 villages and towns in Saurashtra were affected by power cuts and 40 were still blacked out, government sources said.
The Paschim Gujarat Vij Company estimates damage to 11,000 electric poles and 1,000 feeder lines. "Assets worth over Rs 18 crore have been lost. The figure may increase as restoration work is on and some areas are still unreachable," said Sandip Kumar, managing director of Paschim Gujarat Vij Company.
The rain also took a toll on Asiatic lions with reports of five deaths in Amreli district and several others missing. According to SC Pant, principal chief conservator of forests, the lions have a tendency to move towards riverine ecosystems and flash floods can be lethal. The forest department is trying to trace the lions in Amreli district, and so far have found 20-25 of them in the riverine area.
"There is no inundation inside the Gir National Park, no deaths have been reported from the park. Lions outside the boundary, about 45-50 km away near the Satrangi river belt, have been affected," Pant said.
Operations at the Pipavav port commenced with improved weather conditions. Sections of the railway line connecting Pipavav to Surendranagar have been damaged, suspending cargo movement from the port. Railway engineers are assessing the damage.
"The force majeure declared on June 24, 2015, continues due to the prevailing conditions," Gujarat Pipavav Port has informed the Bombay Stock Exchange. While operations have resumed, around 5,000 containers are piled up at the port, which handles 2,400 containers a day.
Ports like Magdalla do not work during the season, but the all-weather Porbandar and Okha ports are working. Gujarat's major port, Kandla, is operational and did not shut operations on Wednesday.
The Tourism Corporation of Gujarat is working on the monsoon festival at Saputara in early July. “Wildlife tourism has not been hit as Gir remains closed for tourists during the monsoon. The water at Amreli has receded and no impact on tourism is anticipated,” said Kamlesh Patel, chairman, Tourism Corporation of Gujarat.
