9 die in Gujarat floods, toll 83; PM announces Rs 500 crore aid

AHMEDABAD/PALANPUR: The death toll in Gujarat floods reached 83 with nine more deaths reported on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the state and announced a relief package of Rs 500 crore for the flood-affected districts. He also declared ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured in the floods.
Modi conducted an aerial survey of flood-ravaged areas of north Gujarat where the authorities have shifted more than 36,000 people to safety and rescued more than 1,600 with the help of Indian Army, Indian Air Force and the National Disaster Response Force personnel since Monday.

The heavy inflow from Rajasthan, coupled with incessant rains since Friday, severely affected road and rail transport in the state.
While at least 20 trains on the Mumbai-Delhi route were affected, with 11 of them cancelled due to railway tracks being washed off near Palanpur, 915 buses originating from Himmatnagar, Palanpur, Mehsana, Ahmedabad and Patan were cancelled as major roads connecting north Gujarat were either damaged or inundated.
The overall loss to the transport sector is estimated to be over Rs 6 crore per day, while railways have been suffering a loss of Rs 5 crore.
PM Modi undertaking aerial survey of flood-hit areas in Gujarat.
Rains wreak havoc in Rajasthan, 8 more killed
Two days after torrential rains wreaked havoc in Rajasthan, the death toll reached 12 with eight more people reported dead on Tuesday.
Joint teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Army, Indian Air Force (IAF) and state administration rescued at least 500 people by Tuesday evening.
While two were reported dead in Jalore, three in Barmer and one in Sirohi districts, two died in Udaipur. Rescue work expedited with heavy rains subsiding. A family of nine – who had taken shelter on a treetop in Siyana village of Jalore – was rescued with the help of IAF choppers and NDRF divers and boats.
Odisha braces for floods
Odisha is also bracing for floods with three of the state's major rivers flowing above the danger mark.
Heavy rainfall is likely to pound several parts of the state due the low pressure area persisting over in the region.
Authorities in Keonjhar, Bhadrak and Jajpur districts have stepped up their preparedness for rescue-and-relief operations while the situation in Balasore district is also being monitored.
The weather improved in Bengal on Tuesday with no heavy rain in most parts since last night. However, low lying areas in Birbhum, Purulia, West Midnapore and Hooghly districts were still under water. Roads in state capital Kolkata continued to be waterlogged.
Flood situation in Assam improves
With most of the rivers in Assam flowing below the danger mark, the overall flood situation in the state saw a marked improvement today but the death toll rose to 77 after a person was reportedly washed away in Hojai.
Currently, a population of 23,118 is still affected by this wave of floods in nine districts, according to the report of Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).
Rain disrupts normal life in Jharkhand
Incessant rain disrupted normal life in several parts of Jharkhand with many rivers, including Damodar, Konar and Siwane, in spate.
The district administrations of Ranchi, East Singhbhum, Hazaribagh, Bokaro and Giridih have declared a holiday on Wednesday for students up to class 8 in view of incessant rains, official sources said.
Scattered rainfall in Bihar, Delhi and Himachal
In Bihar, light rainfall occurred at a few places in the northern part of the state, while heavy showers were witnessed at a few places in the south west, a MeT bulletin said.
The national capital too witnessed scattered rains that brought down the mercury. The maximum temperature settled at 32.5 degrees Celsius, two notches below the season's average.
Dharamshala, which received 55 mm rainfall, was the wettest place in Himachal Pradesh, while moderate downpour was witnessed in several parts of the state.
(With inputs from PTI)