Ever heard of floods in the desert? The unusual occurred in Rajasthan last month. 22nd July 2017: The unfortunate day when the wayward torrential rains wreaked havoc on south-western parts of the desert state resulting in floods. Deviant downpour has thrown life out of balance in Jalore, Pali, Barmer, and Sirohi. The natural catastrophe caused 66 casualties in Rajasthan, but relief came quickly to the bereaved souls.
8 out of 33 districts in Rajasthan recorded abnormal rains whereas 7 districts recorded ‘excess downpour’ in Rajasthan. The flood-hit regions of Sirohi, Jalore, Pali, and Barmer received excess rainfall (367.83 mm rainfall) against the normal rainfall of 290.89 mm.
Read More: Sirohi-Jalore Floods: CM Raje announces ex-Gratia of Rs 1 lakh for family of the deceased; 25000 for injured
Around 1,500 tourists, including natives from Gujarat, were stranded at an elevation of 4,000 feet above sea level, in the hilly terrain of Mount Abu. Heavy, incessant rainfall led to water logging and property damage in Rajasthan, with over thousands of people getting trapped in remote regions. Both the center and the state arranged armed forces and SDRF, NDRF teams to rescue the helpless citizens. The distressed victims were airlifted by Air Force helicopters and relocated to safer regions.
Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje conducted an aerial survey of the regions and issued orders to expedite rescue operations. The revenue department issued a special order for ‘Girdawari’ (record of land cultivation) to assess crop loss caused by floods. The authorities decided to convert short-term loans offered to 2.95 lakh farmers into medium-term loans, at an additional expense worth Rs 196.05 crores.The government announced gratuitous relief funds and appropriate compensations to cover up public losses. Compensation packages issued by the government include:
Read More: Rajasthan Floods: 2000 Rescued in 2 Days, CM Raje Orders Speedy Relief
The government announced gratuitous relief funds and appropriate compensations to cover up public losses. Compensation packages issued by the government include:
- Rs 4 Lakh/person (offered to the surviving families)
- Rs 3000-30000/animal (offered to cattle owners)
- Rs 3800/person (to cover up domestic goods damage)
- Rs 2,100 to 95100/house (to cover up property damage)If the numbers are to be believed, over 450 Lakhs were allotted to each district and total 90L (casualty relief), 39L (clothes & utensils cover-up), 295L (compensation for damaged property), 40L (animal loss) and 20L (gratuitous relief) were offered to citizens. Still, a lot needs to be done to cover up the losses borne by the natives. And, the government is adamant at providing appropriate help to those who need it.
