Manmohan Singh assures Central assistance to flood-hit Gujarat

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today called Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to enquire about the flood situation in the state.

New Delhi, July 4 : Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today called Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to enquire about the flood situation in the state.

Dr. Singh assured Modi of all Central assistance for flood relief and rehabilitation.

The Prime Minister's response came even as flood waters continued to torment Gujarat on Tuesday following incessant rain across the entire state on Monday night.

Though the intensity of the rains abated on Tuesday afternoon, district administrations have been alerted as the meteorological department has predicted more rains in the next 24 hours, especially in Saurashtra and Kutch regions.

With 21 people dying in rain-related incidents in the last 24 hours, the death toll during this monsoon has touched 84. Thirteen people have been reported missing. More than 43,100 people have been evacuated and shifted to safer places all over the state, especially the 12 districts which are the worst affected.

Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Switzerland, told the Prime Minister to release money for the flood affected. Modi also sought the help of the Indian Air Force to rescue people marooned at different inundated areas. The CM has also urged the PM to grant a special package for the agriculture sector, which has suffered losses due to the floods.

However, State Agriculture Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama said that 340 mm rains so far, which is 36 per cent of the season's average, have brought in good prospects for kharif cultivation. He said that average kharif sowing is completed in 24 lakh hectares by this time of the season, but sowing in 31 lakh hectares have already taken place this year.

Of the 191 small and medium dams, 69 have water flowing at danger level, while 31 are full and nine have water at 90 per cent of their capacity.

Revenue Minister Kaushik Patel told the media that a corpus of Rs 20 crores has been placed at the disposal of the district collectors for rescue and relief. (ANI + inputs)

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