Scores marooned as Pali district goes under water

Heavy rains have thrown normal life out of gear in western Rajasthan. The district of Pali is the worst-hit, with several people marooned and rivers flowing above the danger level.

Heavy rains have thrown normal life out of gear in western Rajasthan. The district of Pali is the worst-hit, with several people marooned and rivers flowing above the danger level.

The district authorities had to call for a helicopter to rescue 43 people stranded on roof-tops, trees and even electric poles. While 41 villagers of Surayata village in the district were rescued on Thursday morning, two children from the outskirts of Pali were rescued by afternoon.

“It has been raining heaving for the past two days. Rivers and small dams are overflowing while the highways and rail routes are also affected,” said SP Dr Prasakha Mathur.

Waterlogging was severe in the catchment areas, leaving thousands of people stranded. Several small and big rivers, including Bandi, which flows through Pali, are flooded. Though it had stopped raining at Pali by evening, there were reports that most rural parts continued to receive heavy rainfall.

Hundreds of people have been asked to evacuate villages near catchment areas and those in low-lying areas. “As of now the situation is grim, but if it continues to rain like this for next 24 hours, it will become critical,” stated a senior official.

With rail tracks between Pali and Bomadada are under water, passengers of the Jodhpur-Bangalore train were stranded at Pali station.

Most parts of the state have been receiving incessant rain for the past two days. While districts like Updaipur, Sirohi and Mt Abu received heavy rainfall on Wednesday, the rain moved towards the eastern parts on Thursday. The Met Department predicts heavy rainfall in the Eastern and South-Western region of the state during the next 48 hours.