Ground Report – “Nothing To Eat, Feel Bad For My Children”: Woman In Flooded House In Gujarat

Many areas in Gujarat’s Vadodara and other cities and villages in the state remain flooded for a second day after heavy rain. The army has been called in for relief and rescue work. Some areas were under 10 to 12 feet of water, said Health Minister and government spokesperson Rushikesh Patel.

Fifteen people have died in the flood in three days, Gandhinagar relief commissioner Alok Pandey said, adding 6,440 have been shifted from low-lying to safer areas and rescue efforts are going on.

A woman sitting on the porch of her house surrounded by floodwater in Vadodara told NDTV it has been raining non-stop for over two days.

“We haven’t been able to go out and haven’t eaten properly. No one has come to give us relief material. My father can’t walk, and he also hasn’t eaten. We have been sitting here all night, can’t sleep,” the woman told NDTV.

Her daughter said they have to walk in floodwater to reach their toilet outside the house. “My husband carries my father on his back to go to the toilet,” she said.

In another house where water level reached the knee, the resident Tejal told NDTV they put their cot to dry during the day, and place it on the water at night.

“We sit there all night. We haven’t eaten anything. I have three small children, who I had to send to my mother’s house. There is nothing to eat. What should we do. As a mother, I feel so bad for them,” Tejal, standing in knee-deep water inside the dim, damp house, told NDTV and broke down.

Rushikesh Patel said a long-term plan the state government is considering is to divert floodwater into the Narmada canal instead of releasing it in Vishwamitri river.

“Such a situation has arisen after nearly 20 years. The Vishwamitri gets water from Ajwa, Pratappura and three other non-gated reservoirs. As a long-term solution to flooding, we are considering diverting the dam water into Narmada canal instead of releasing it into Vishwamitri. The plan has been discussed with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel,” he said.

“The situation is alarming in Vadodara because many areas on both sides of the river are still under 10 to 12 feet of water. Some areas are under four to five feet of water. The local administration has shifted more than 5,000 people to safer places and rescued nearly 1,200 stranded people,” Mr Patel said.

The Vishwamitri river crossed the danger mark of 25 feet on Tuesday morning, following heavy rain and the release of water from Ajwa dam.

Local leaders of the ruling BJP have been helping people, though their own houses are also partially submerged, Mr Patel said, adding over 38,000 food packets have been distributed and another one lakh packets are ready for distribution.