Rain stops,waterlogging woes continue

The district,which receives annual average rainfall of 12 inches,received 10 inches within 24 hours yesterday. Many state highways and interior roads remained closed for the second day. Some 200 villages suffered power cuts.

While relief operations have begun in urban areas,several teams from the collectorate,along with National Disaster and Relief Force,reached border areas like Banni with food packets and tarpaulin sheets.

“While Kutch district was submerged on Tuesday following heavy rain,the situation improved on Wednesday. Rain has been light or nil and water has started receding,” said Kutch district collector M Thenarsan.

Water has receded in the city except in some areas around Hamirsar lake,he added. More than 2,400 persons who were evacuated from low-lying areas have returned home. “Some 600 persons continue to be in shelters like schools,” Thenarsan said.

The collector added that heavy machinery had been deployed to remove the flooded water. Five hundred extra safai kamdars have been pressed into action.

The administration has begun a survey in Bhuj city to assess damage to property. “Cash doles will be given in case of damage,” said Thenarsan.

In Jamnagar,water has reportedly begun receding from Dwarka,Okha,Kalyanpur and Khambhalia. These talukas received 5 to 9 inches of rainfall.

Many state highways were reportedly closed because of waterlogging,and power cuts were reported from 244 villagers.

Seven fishermen rescued

The coast guard rescued seven fishermen from Kesarinandan,a boat from Veraval in Junagadh district,on Wednesday morning. The boat had been stranded off Chorwad coast in the choppy sea for more than 42 hours.

One fisherman was reportedly dead.

“Seven fishermen have been rescued. They have been shifted to the coast guard vessel and will be brought to Porbandar,” said a coast guard source.

Following a depression in the Arabia Sea,the fishing trawler was reportedly caught in rough weather and it drifted to the Chorwad shore. “They were stuck off Chorwad coast for more than 42 hours. They had rations on board,but in the choppy sea it wasn’t possible for them to cook or even eat,” said the source.

The fishermen were given preliminary treatment on the coast guard vessel.

Three fishermen reportedly died on Wednesday,and there has been no contact with nearly 1,000 boats and 7,000 fishermen.

“Boats have been arriving to various shores. But still there has been no news from nearly 1,000 boats and its crew,which would roughly be around 7,000 fishermen,” said Porbandar Boat Association president Hiralal Shiyal.