Flood-hit are not getting needed help: Sonia

MANAS Dasgupta

GANDHINAGAR - Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday visited some of the flood-ravaged areas in Gujarat where the situation recorded considerable improvement after six days of heavy rainfall.

Barring a few pockets in Vadodara district in central Gujarat and Songadh and adjacent areas in Surat district in south Gujarat, which received about 80 to 125 mm rainfall, no significant rainfall was reported from any other parts of the State on Monday. Many rural areas, however, continued to remain waterlogged.

Anand, Kaira and Padra are yet to come out of water entirely. In Vadodara and Surat, water has receded from most of the main roads, but the houses in the low-lying areas were still under two to three feet of water.

At least 8,000 villages in various parts of the State are still surrounded by flood water.

At least 500 villages are still inaccessible and two lakh people are living in various relief transit camps. Official sources have put the death toll at 142.

Ms. Gandhi accompanied by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Textile Minister Shankarsinh Waghela, Minister of State for Railways Naranbhai Rathwa, and Ms. Gandhi's political adviser, Ahmed Patel, visited the worst-hit Vadodara and some affected areas in Ahmeda bad district in the afternoon.

In an apparent expression of dissatisfaction over the handling of the situation by the BJP Government in the State, Ms. Gandhi told mediapersons in Vadodara that while talking to the affected people she had received complaints of non-distribution of cash doles which help the people to return to normal life.

In a brief chat with mediapersons after visiting waterlogged Karelibagh and other localities in the city, Ms. Gandhi said apparently the Government officials had not been able to reach many places and the people were not getting help.

Hoping that the Central assistance for meeting the situation would be properly utilised, Ms. Gandhi wanted the officials to expedite the rescue and relief operations and maintain proper coordination between the Centre and the State.

Leader of the Opposition in the State Arjun Modhavadia claimed that Ms. Gandhi skipped Anand and Kaira because the Collectors could not make arrangements for her landing.

Manmohan to visit affected areas

Prime Minister Manmohan Sigh is expected to visit some of the affected areas on Tuesday while a Central team for an on-the-spot study of the situation is expected next week.

- The Hindu