At least 21 persons were killed in heavy rain and floods in Gujarat during the past 24 hours even as Chief Minister Narendra Modi requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to make available the services of the Air Force for rescue operations.
Mr. Modi, now on an official visit to Switzerland to attract investments, had a telephonic conversation with Dr. Singh on Tuesday morning.
He apprised Dr. Singh of the grim flood situation and stressed the need for providing Central assistance from the National Calamity Relief Fund, according to Revenue Minister Kaushik Patel.
While Leader of the Opposition Arjun Modhvadia likened Mr. Modi to Roman emperor Nero for “fiddling around” in Switzerland when the State was reeling under floods, Mr. Patel claimed that the Chief Minister was “in constant touch” with the administration and was issuing instructions to meet the situation. As the Army continued with relief and rescue operations in Jamnagar district, the Border Security Force was pressed into service at Palanpur in Banaskantha district with rain lashing north Gujarat on Tuesday.
Though train services between Delhi and Mumbai via Vadodara were restored, the Delhi-Ahmedabad service came to a halt due to flooding of the track at Palanpur.
The Palanpur-Ahmedabad highway remained closed with Banaskantha and Mehsana districts facing the flood fury.
The widespread rain during the past three days averaged 340.69 mm, contributing 36 per cent of the State’s normal precipitation.
Heavy rain continued to lash almost all parts of the State, particularly the Saurashtra region, where Jamnagar district received a record rainfall of over 450 mm in the last three days.
