The Hindu : Situation improves in flood-hit Kutch

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Sunday, Jul 27, 2003

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Situation improves in flood-hit Kutch

By Our Special Correspondent

Reuters

A boy herding his cattle through heavy rainwater in the Kutch district of Gujarat on Saturday.

GANDHINAGAR JULY 26. The situation in the arid region of Kutch district, facing the problem of plenty for the first time in half a century, improved today with some let up in the rainfall in the last 72 hours.

According to the acting Collector, B.C. Chaudhari, four villages in the downstream of Dawn Dam in Abdasa taluka had been alerted for evacuation as the dam had started overflowing.

Other dams, including the Rudramata, the largest in the district, are either full or overflowing marginally. The loading and unloading operations at the Kandla port, which was affected due to heavy rains in the last two days, was partly restarted today.

Army and Air Force personnel and voluntary organisations aided revenue officials in distributing food packets to the affected people.

About 4,000 people were evacuated to safer places from Banni and Khavda talukas on Friday, while about 7,000 people who were to be shifted were allowed to stay put as the situation improved today. While Abdasa and Mundra talukas received 66 mm and 89 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, the rainfall in most other parts of the district was less than 25 mm. The Narmada in south Gujarat is in spate and the level at the Sardar Sarovar dam has crossed 100 metres, the sanctioned height of the dam.

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