ARMY was on Friday (August 24) roped in for rescue and relief work in Rajasthan in the wake of torrential rainfall which has claimed 29 lives so far and left many districts facing a flood-like situation.
Rajasthan, which had a rainfall deficit of 29.69 per cent on August 9 and was fearing a drought, has now received 4.89 per cent above normal rainfall after two days of downpour, officials said.
An elderly couple was killed after a wall collapsed on them in Churutaking the death toll to 29.
“65-year-old Parmanand, an ex-armyman, and his wife were killed in a wall-collapse incident in Shobhasar village in Sujangarh town today,” SP, Churu, Omprakash said, adding few areas in the district were inundated following heavy rainfall.
The civil administration in Sikar, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Dholpur, Bharatpur and Dausa was struggling to provide relief with many low-lying areas in these districts as well as in Jaipur facing water-logging. Various colonies, towns have been submerged and thousands of people have been shifted to relief camps and other safer places.
Low-lying areas in Jaipur, Laxmangarh and Nawalgarh town in Sikar district and Sikar city, few villages near Chambal river in Dholpur district faced the brunt of the rainfall.
Army assistance was provided for rescue operations in Jaipur and Sikar district, defence spokesperson S D Goswami said.
Goswami said that relief columns were rushed to Sikar.
These comprise of troops trained in execution of all types of rescue and relief tasks in areas facing flood or flood-like situation, along with the requisite equipment, medical team and other support systems of the Army.
The Rajasthan government has asked the Central team, which was scheduled to arrive in Rajasthan to assess the drought situation, to postpone their visit for some time because of the heavy rains, they said.
“Sikar city and Laxmangarh town are the worst affected at present where many areas have been inundated whereas the situation in Jaipur and Dausa district is under control though relief works are on in full swing,” state minister for Disaster Management and Relief Brijendra Singh Ola told reporters.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has appealed to people in the affected areas to keep patience and directed officials to make sure that relief work is done in a proper manner in all the areas facing trouble due to the rainfall.
Meanwhile, sowing in the state for Kharif crops has been done in 122 lakh hectare which is 82 per cent of the total targeted area for this season, an official of the agriculture department said.
He said that the recent rains have improved agricultural prospects in the state.
