Gujarat Floods: 39 dead, 6500 evacuated, more than 15 concrete structures collapsed and roads caved in

The state of Gujarat has been facing the flood fury since the onset of monsoon season - here's a reporter's account on the aftermath of what has happened in the state so far and what relief has been provided to the citizens. 

Since the IMD warning has been removed officially for any heavy rainfall, in the state, there is still a lot that the Government of Gujarat needs to take care of. There were at least 39 deaths reported from across the state and several structural collapses which had also added to the death toll by 17. The people who have lost their homes are the most vulnerable and are still living in impromptu makeshift relief camps that had mushroomed in the interior pockets. In Navsari, three houses had collapsed due to incessant rains and a local school which required people to walk 500 meters in shoulder-deep water was turned into a relief camp.

'We need to wait and save our earning to be able to construct our houses again since there is no assistance given to us by the govt. There is no option other than living here and wait,' said Muhaummad Shaikh, whose house had collapsed in the rains on August 4.

There are several other schools in the locality that were made out to be the relief camps where people are still living. The teachers of the school also are involved in providing relief assistance to the locals rather than teaching students. Several such camps are present in Kutch, Bharuch, Nadiad, etc. 

READ: Gujarat Floods: CM Vijay Rupani Hails Heroic Policeman For Daring Retrieval, Netizens Notice Rescued Girls' confidence In Him

Loss of homes, people still living in camps 

In Nadiad, a government housing scheme building had collapsed on August 9 at 10:30 pm and after 12 hours of rescue operations four people were declared dead - including a 6-month-old girl- and five rescued. However, there are at least 10 more such adjoining three-storeyed buildings that are in a dilapidated condition that are still inhabited by 100 more families in danger. They've refused to evacuate since they claim there is nowhere else to go.

"We've been living here since three decades now. We are all daily wage workers - have very little to afford a place. We've been told to evacuate but we will come on the streets," said Balveer Singh, a resident of the building.

The Kheda district collector, Sudhir Patel has made promises of shifting them to another govt housing society. However, it is still not put into action. There were several other structural collapses in Jamnagar, Surat, Ahmedabad which lead to people losing their lives. Specifically, a water tanker collapse that led to the death of 4 people - the government has ordered a probe into the reason for structural collapse. In Jamnagar as well, a building had collapsed leaving all the inhabitants - homeless. 

Crocodiles on the streets 

The worst-hit area was Vadodara when the city witnessed flash flood after 20 inches of sudden extremely heavy rainfall. However, even after days of water receding, the crocodile menace is still prevalent in pockets of the city. The crocodiles that inhabit the Vishwamitri river come out in the city after each monsoon. There were at least 15 crocodiles that were rescued in the last two weeks by NDRF teams and animal control department as well. 

Overall, a Rs. 4 Lakh compensation was also declared by the Government of Gujarat to the family members of the people who lost their lives in floods. 

Dengue cases rise

Now that water has receded in several parts of the state, the authorities are also worried about a rise in diseases like dengue and several cautions are being taken for the same. Four-day awareness campaigns are organised in villages to make sure that locals take as many precautions as possible to avoid falling ill. Also, local authorities have shared that there is a spike in these cases already and have at least 36 cases reported for the same.

Structural collapses lead to villages being cut off 

Several roads in Surat have been reported to caved in, and have been quarantined. In Kutch as well, there are several roads that link villages near the border like Hajipir, Motaluna, etc have also caved in and bridges have fallen down which has lead to the link to the villages being cut off. Authorities have claimed that they are working on reconstruction but erratic rains are also delaying the process.

READ: Gujarat Floods: Four Dead, Five Injured As Building Collapses In Kheda Due To Heavy Rains