Gujarat CM conducts aerial survey of rain-hit Devbhoomi Dwarka and Jamnagar districts
Jul 23, 2024
Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], July 23 : Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Tuesday conducted an aerial survey of villages in the coastal districts of Saurashtra, especially Jamnagar and Devbhoomi Dwarka, to assess the situation caused by heavy rains.
In a review meeting with officials and representatives of Devbhoomi Dwarka and Jamnagar districts, the Chief Minister guided the district administration to work with a zero-casualty approach to ensure people's safety during heavy rains.
Due to heavy rains in the coastal districts of Saurashtra, including Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, and Porbandar, over the past five days, waterlogging in low-lying areas has affected normal life. The Chief Minister inspected the situation in the coastal belt and affected areas of Devbhoomi Dwarka.
In a meeting with district officials and representatives at Kuranga village in Devbhoomi Dwarka district, the Chief Minister reviewed the rain situation and the relief and rescue measures taken by the administration. He guided them to provide all essential facilities to the relocated people.
The Gujarat CM stated that the administration is equipped to use technology in relief and rescue operations during natural disasters to minimize loss of life and property.
He also reviewed the steps taken in the areas of Dwarka and Kalyanpur, which experienced exceptional rainfall, and suggested that the administration ensure people feel that the state government is with them. He directed the relevant departments to conduct necessary surveys in these areas as soon as the water recedes.
Dwarka Collector, GT Pandya provided an overview of the situation, stating that the average rainfall in Devbhoomi Dwarka district over the past 30 years is 769 mm, whereas in the past five to six days alone, the average rainfall has been 980 mm. Thus, against the average annual rainfall of 31 inches, 50 inches of rainfall has occurred in just 5-6 days.
Due to planning and immediate measures during continuous rainfall, 23 people trapped in the water were safely rescued. Shelters have been provided with food, health, and other facilities for the affected people.
The Chief Minister instructed the district administration to prioritize repairing roads and transportation services disrupted by the rains.
Chief Secretary Raj Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Pankaj Joshi, Director General of Police Vikas Sahay, Range IG Ashok Kumar Yadav, District Development Officer S.D. Dhanani, Superintendent of Police Nitesh Pandey, MLA Pabubha Manek, Municipality President Rachanaben Motani, and other organization representatives were present at the meeting.
