Thursday, August 17 2006 15:41 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ahmedabad: The flood situation has improved in central and south Gujarat following reduction in intensity of rains and the amount water being released from various dams, officials said today (Aug 17, 2006).

Narmada river was still flooded as 5.64 lakh cusec of water is being released into it from the Sardar Sarovar dam, while the situation has imporoved in Mahi and Sabarmati rivers, flood control room sources said.

"We were thinking of lifting flood alert for Ahmedabad by this evening after reviewing the situation as the inflow of water to river Sabarmati from the upstream has come down to 93,000 cusecs today from 2.66 lakh cusecs yesterday," Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner I P Gautam told sources.

"But the alert is likely to continue in Ahmedabaddistrict as more than 2.5 lakh cuesec of water had been released from the Vasna barrage of the city into the river yesterday," he added.

"Electricity connection will be restored in slums NEAR the river which were flooded yesterday," he said.

Meanwhile, the inflow of water into Sardar Sarovar dam is 5.29 lakh cusec and the outflow is 5.64 lakh cusec due to heavy rains in Madhya Pradesh. Alert is on in Bharuch district and people have been evacuated from low lying areas near Narmada.

The situation has also improved in Panchmahals and Baroda district as outflow of water from Kadana dam to river Mahi has reduced from 4 lakh cuesec yesterday to 1.40 lakh cuesec, control room officials said.