MHA Assembles Team to Assess Flood Damage in Gujarat

New Delhi 1 September 2024 : The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has formed an inter-ministerial team to evaluate the damage caused by recent heavy rains and flooding in Gujarat. This move comes as the state grapples with severe flooding, which has claimed at least 36 lives since August 25. The MHA, in a statement issued on Sunday, affirmed the Centre’s commitment to providing comprehensive assistance to flood-affected states under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The newly formed team, headed by the Executive Director of the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), will be sent to the most severely affected districts in Gujarat to conduct a thorough on-site evaluation.

Heavy and continuous rainfall, especially in central Gujarat’s Vadodara, Anand, and Kheda districts, as well as in Saurashtra’s Dwarka, Jamnagar, Morbi, and Porbandar, has led to severe flooding. The situation was further exacerbated by a deep depression over Gujarat and neighboring Rajasthan, which resulted in widespread damage and disruption. The flood toll in Saurashtra and Kutch has risen to 27 following a new death reported from Jamnagar. The inter-ministerial team is tasked with assessing the impact of the floods and will coordinate with senior officers in the affected states. The MHA is also monitoring the situation in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, which have experienced heavy rainfall during the same period. If necessary, IMCTs (Inter-Ministerial Central Teams) will be dispatched to these states as well.

In response to the flooding, Union Home Minister Amit Shah conducted a review of the situation in his Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, one of the areas heavily affected. Shah directed local authorities to implement immediate measures to restore normalcy, including draining floodwaters, clearing roads and drains, and carrying out fogging and pesticide spraying to prevent disease outbreaks. “Taking stock of the situation, Shah issued necessary instructions to facilitate the restoration of public life, prevent epidemics, and address the challenges faced by citizens. He also engaged in telephonic discussions with collectors and municipal commissioners of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar districts,” a BJP release stated. Despite a decrease in monsoon activity, many areas in Gujarat remain inundated due to swollen rivers. Vadodara, which faced severe flooding from the Vishwamitri River, is beginning to recover as water levels slowly recede.

This year, similar inter-ministerial teams have been sent to Assam, Kerala, Mizoram, and Tripura to assess flood and landslide damage, reflecting the central government’s ongoing efforts to address natural disasters across the country.