Gujarat floods: PM Narendra Modi holds high-level meet, reviews situation

ANI photo

Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday chaired a meeting with Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and several officials of the state to review progress of flood relief work in the flood-ravaged Gujarat.

Modi arrived at Ahmedabad at 4:00 pm today as he conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected Banaskantha and Patan districts in north Gujarat where thousands of people are marooned due to incessant rains, as per ANI.

Modi's visit comes in the wake of a request from Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The PM left for Gujarat after the swearing-in ceremony of President Ram Nath Kovind.

Earlier today, CM Rupani called on the Prime Minister at Parliament House and apprised him of the situation arising out of the heavy rains and flood in parts of the state. 

"PM Modi then decided to undertake an aerial survey of the flood affected areas of north Gujarat," the PMO said. 

The Army, Indian Air Force (IAF) and NDRF and local teams have intensified rescue and relief operations as several parts of the two districts were inundated with flood water. 

During the last 24 hours, at least 12 talukas of Banaskantha, Patan and Sabarkantha districts received over 200 mm of rainfall, a release issued by the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC). 

Dantiwada in Banaskantha remained the worst-hit with a whopping 463 mm rainfall, followed by Palanpur (380 mm), Vadgam(357 mm), Amirgadh(337 mm) and Lakhani (305 mm). 

At least 400 people were rescued in Banaskantha district this morning. A large number of locals were stranded in the floods after torrential rains wrecked havoc in northern Gujarat for last three days. 

As the rains took a break this morning, rescue operations in Banaskantha and Patan districts gained momentum, an official said. 

Hundreds of people are still waiting to be shifted to safer places, as several parts of these districts are flooded, he said. 

Three Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters have been deployed in Banskantha to airlift the stranded locals as well as to distribute food packets. One column of Indian Army was also pressed in to rescue people using boats. 

Since morning, 113 people stranded in Shihori village of the district have been rescued and shifted to safer locations by the Indian Army personnel, who have been conducting the rescue operation using boats, said a release by the Defence PRO. 

"One MI-17V5 took off from Deesa this morning and proceeded to Totana village and winched up 14 people stuck in the mist of raging flood water to safety," Defence PRO Abhishek Matiman said. 

The IAF is also air dropping food packets in the affected areas. 

(With PTI inputs)