By IANS
Jaipur : Flood situation in Rajasthan began improving Sunday as water flow from a breached dam in Jodhpur district decreased. At least 22 have people died in rain-related incidents so far.
A portion of the 118-year-old Jaswant Sagar Dam in Jodhpur district, 300 km from here, had breached Friday night after being fed by swollen rivers, transforming stretches of desert land into a lake.
"The serious danger seems to be over as water discharge has receded but we are not taking any chances and are monitoring the situation," Jodhpur Divisional Commissioner Kiran Soni Gupta told IANS on telephone.
She said that water was flowing in a controlled manner in the Luni river, adding, "we have already taken people living near the river or in low-lying areas to safer places".
"I feel that the situation would improve by tomorrow," Gupta added. Meanwhile, authorities have decided to be on alert in areas of Jodhpur, Pali, Barmer and Jalore districts where the Luni river passes through.
Army and air force personnel have been asked to be prepared for any eventuality, officials said.
Parts of Bilara town and around 12 villages in the district are submerged under three to six feet of water. "We dropped food packets in two villages near the Jaswant Sagar dam today," state Relief Secretary C.K. Mathew said.
Over 20,000 people living in 59 villages have so far been taken to safer places, including 10,000 from Balotra in Barmer district.
In a land where water is more precious than milk, it is ironical to see people praying for the water level to recede. "We are praying to god to lower the water levels both in the dam as well as the rivers,' Prabha Devi, a resident of a village near Bilara town, said.
"The Luni river, which was flowing at over 12 feet mark (over danger level) till late Saturday, is now flowing at 4-5 feet mark," Subir Kumar, collector of Barmer, said.
The administration, which had stopped traffic on the Jaipur-Jodhpur highway, has decided to review the situation late Sunday evening on re-opening the road. Around 30 buses ply daily on the route.
Besdies, Thar Express train linking India with Pakistan from the Rajasthan border, which has remained suspended since Friday, is now slated to leave Jodhpur early Monday.
"A final decision on running the train will only be taken late in the evening today (Sunday)," a railway official said.
Pali, Sirohi and other nearby areas received heavy rainfall in the last few days. Life was thrown out of gear in Pali district, which recorded 357 mm rain, the highest in 24 years.
Eight people out of the 22 dead were washed away in a stream after their vehicle fell into the rain-swollen river in Jhalawar district Saturday evening.
The desert district of Barmer was hit by one of the worst flash floods in August last year that claimed over 104 lives.