Rajasthan: Flood waters enter 20 villages

A flood-like situation has arisen in parts of Rajasthan with record-breaking rains lashing Hadauti region of Kota, Jhalawar and Baran districts.

The low lying areas of Kota were inundated due to release of water from the Kota barrage.

Rivers in Jhalawar and Baran were overflowing due to terrential rains and flood waters had entered about 20 villages, according to official sources in Jaipur on Saturday. The districts last experienced such heavy downpour about two decades ago.

Sources said the district administration with assistance from army has shifted nearly 300 affected people of both districts to safer places while food packets were being dropped by a helicopter.

In Baran, 10 villages were affected while in Kota, the low lying areas were submerged in water following release of water from Kota barrage, the sources said.

According to police sources, three persons were swept away in the flash flood in Baran district. Divisional Commissioner J C Mohanti said RAC personnel and 117 engineers of the Army had been pressed into the rescue and relief operations.

Control rooms have been set up at Jaipur and other divisional headquarters to collect relief materials for the flood-affected people of the state.

Meanwhile, the Central government has approved a Rs 350 crore relief package for the flood-hit state even as an inter-ministerial team will visit the state to assess the damage.

Minutes after Finance Minister P Chidambaram announced a Rs 100 crore adhoc relief from the Calamity Relief Fund for the state, the Union home ministry pegged the total package at Rs 350 crore taking into account relief from other heads.

Home Ministry sources said while Rs.163.66 crore was being released on Saturday night as a second installment of CRF for the current fiscal, Rs 85.92 crore were being given as advance for 2007-08.

Earlier, the Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, approved the adhoc relief of Rs 100 crore on the basis of the report of Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who visited the state to assess the damage.