NEW DELHI: Massive relief operations were on by military and border security force contingents in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan, as monsoon floods took a toll of at least 104 lives in the western and northern parts of the country.

According to official figures available, the western state of Gujarat accounted for 34 deaths, while 24 died in western Rajasthan, 11 in Haryana, four in Himachal Pradesh and one in Punjab in the north.

Rescue operations were at a war footing in flood affected areas of western Rajasthan where 40 lives were lost, and nearly one lakh people rendered homeless, floods have breached roads, submerged rail tracks and paralyzed normal life in western Rajasthan.

Official sources in Jaipur the capital city of Rajasthan said 22 persons were missing and hundreds of cattle head lost.

Indian air force helicopters dropped food packets to the marooned villages, official sources said.

Rajasthan chief minister, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat visited the flood ravaged places to supervise the relief operations.

The death toll in the current monsoon rose to 34 in Gujarat with the recovery of 10 more bodies from the flooded waters of Banas river in Banaskantha and

Mehsana districts. In the north eastern state Assam, the flood situation was improving although river Brahmaputra in Assam’s Dibrugarh district and Dikhow in Sibs agar district was flowing above the danger mark.

Amny and air force were called in to help the Rajasthan administration, as the toll in heavy rains in parts of northern and western India rose

Thirteen persons died in Jodhpur nine in Jallore and one in Chun, a report from Jaipur said.

Food packets were being air dropped and army soldiers were engaged in pumping out water in the affected areas, Kurani said.

In Haryana the toll rose to 11 with the recovery of two more bodies.

Over 11,000 houses collapsed and about 20 villages were affected by rains in Sirsa, Rori and Ellnabad areas.

Three persons were washed away in Manji Khud in Kangra town Friday, taking the toll to four in Himachal Pradesh.

One person died due to house collapse in Dharmshala Thursday as heavy rains continued unabated for the second day Friday.

In Gujarat, at least five persons died in Bhadath in Deesa town of Banaskantha district, 15 others were still missing following flash floods in the river Banas recently.

In eastern Indian Assam, the overall flood situation was improving.

Article extracted from this publication >> July 13, 1990