Gujarat floods claim 213 lives, Smriti Irani visits affected areas in Banaskantha
Union Minister Smriti Irani today visited flood affected areas of Banaskantha district of Gujarat, where 213 people have lost their lives.
Gujarat’s Banaskantha and Patan districts are witnessing massive floods due to heavy rains over the last week. The floods have claimed 213 lives till now, Relief Commissioner AJ Shah told India Today.
As the situation continues to be grim in flood affected areas of Gujarat, Union Minister Smriti Irani today visited Banaskantha to take stock of the situation.
Explaining the flood situation in Gujarat, Shah said, “We are still in process of gathering data from across the state. But the number of those died in flood related incidents has reached 213. Out of this, 186 deaths could be confirmed due to drowning while 27 others were caused by other reasons.”
Rescue operation is still going in many villages in the affected districts. “The death toll will not go beyond this,” Shah added.
FLOOD OF POLITICS
To take stock of the flood situation and inspect the relief and rescue operation, Smriti Irani today visited Khara village of Banaskantha district. Apart from the governmental work, Irani’s visit assumes political connotation.
While the Congress party has flown its 42 MLAs to Bengaluru fearing more resignation and poaching by the BJP ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, the BJP is trying to make it a point to engage senior leaders and ministers in the relief and rescue work of the state government.
From the Congress, senior leaders Ashok Ghelot and Ahmed Patel yesterday visited Banaskantha and Ghulam Nabi Azad raised the flood situation issue in Parliament. But, the party’s MLAs who were voted by the local people are parked at a resort in Bengaluru.
SMRITI IRANI IN BANASKANTHA
Union Minister Smriti Irani visited flood affected areas of Banaskantha where people are still in distress. Rain has stopped in this district. Rescue operation has also been stopped. Rehabilitation of those displaced commenced today.
Speaking exclusively to India Today, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said, “Rescue operation has got over now. The priority of the government is to quickly do rehabilitation work in all the flood affected places.”
Smriti Irani visited Khara village near Deesa. This village was totally disconnected for past seven days due to heavy rain and flood. Over flooded Banas river water submerged the main highway connecting Khara to other 15-16 small villages.
Smriti Irani visited the village along with an NDRF (National Disaster Relief Force) team in a small rubber boat. Irani spoke to local people, who had been trapped in the flood water.
“State machinery has done its job properly. Centre, on its part, has given adequate help to Gujarat government. Army, NDRF and other rescue teams reached affected areas and carried out rescue work efficiently. I am visiting these villages and speaking to affected people to understand what more help they require and how fast can we provide them,” Smriti Irani said.
