By IANS,
Ahmedabad : Several villages of Mehsana district in north Gujarat were flooded following a 40-foot breach in the Narmada water canal Wednesday.
However, there was no loss of life following the breach near Sujatpura village that led to gushing of waters in about a dozen surrounding villages like Navikadi, Babajipura and Narsipura.
The fields in Sujatpura were flooded with seven to 15 feet of water, which also rushed into homes.
A 30-member emergency services team of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation rushed to the Sujatpura village, about 130 km from here.
The main head of the canal at Asundra village near Kadi was regulated bringing the water level in the canal to two metres from five metres. The water flow was later completely stopped.
Chief Minister Narendra Modi announced setting up of a high-power technical committee to survey the entire main canal from the Sardar Sarovar dam site at Kevadiya in central Gujarat to the Rajasthan border.
Modi visited the disaster site where rescue and relief measures were on, especially at badly hit Sujatpura village.
Prompt steps averted a disaster with no loss to human or animal life reported so far.
Leader of Opposition Shaktisinh Gohil came down heavily on the “laxity” of the district administration.
“When four months ago a TV channel had reported the threat to the main canal and had predicted a breach in the near future, the state should have taken preventive steps,” Gohil said.