Heavy rains disrupt normal life in Gujarat

Ahmedabad, July 3 (IANS) Heavy rains have lashed several parts of Gujarat during the last two days, affecting normal life and disrupting rail and air traffic.

As many as five trains were cancelled and 13 diverted on Monday while several flights were diverted or delayed due to rains and potholes on the new runway.

Over 600 persons have been evacuated from several parts of Patan district in north Gujarat and hundreds of others in low-lying areas have been put on alert.

Gujarat received an average of over 38 mm of rains in last 24 hours.

The government has put four out of 203 dams and reservoirs on "high alert" and four others on "alert". This was after water levels in these dams reached over 90 per cent of their storage capacity.

Of the total 15,770.39 million cubic metres of storage capacity, these 203 water bodies currently have 4,986.37 million cubic metres of water.

"All the district collectors and officials of the state disaster management authority have been put on alert," Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani told reporters.

He said the government had started a survey to assess the damage caused by the rains. "We will suitably compensate the affected people," the Chief Minister said.

The Met department has forecast intermittent light to moderate rains across the state, with heavy rains at times during the next five days.