Western Railway said on Monday that the train traffic on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route has been halted for nearly 11 hours since Sunday night as the Narmada river is flowing above the danger mark between Bharuch and Ankleshwar stations in Gujarat, , as reported by the news agency PTI.
The train traffic between Bharuch and Ankleshwar stations in the Vadodara division on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route stopped after Narmada river waters surged above the danger mark at brigade no. 502 at around 11:50 pm on Sunday, Western Railway's Chief PRO Sumit Thakur told PTI. He said the river water level is still above the danger mark though it has started receding.
"All the passenger and goods trains on both ends of the river have been held up due to the flood. Arrangements are being made to provide refreshments, tea, and water to the passengers stranded on trains," he added. According to our estimates, the water level may fall below the danger mark after a couple of hours, Thakur said.
"Helpline numbers have been set up to assist passengers to get train-related information," he added. According to a Western Railway release, at least one-and-a-half dozen trains, including Mumbai-Ahmedabad Tejas Express and Shatabdi Express, have been cancelled due to the flood.
Heavy rain lashed many parts of Gujarat on Sunday, flooding low-lying areas and cutting off several villages as Narmada and other rivers were in full spate, officials said. On Sunday, the heavy rainfall necessitated the evacuation of 9,600 people to safety. The excessive rainfall disrupted normal life, prompting authorities to block underpasses as a precautionary measure due to the waterlogged streets.
The water level of Sardar Sarovar Dam, built on the Narmada River, reduced by 10 lakh cusecs after the water was released by opening 23 gates of the dam, as reported by news agency ANI.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams evacuated around 206 villagers on Sunday following the release of excess water from the Sardar Sarovar Dam. According to district authorities, 18 infants, 15 children, 61 women, and 112 men from three villages, including Gabhana, Akteswar, and Sanjroli, were evacuated and shifted to safer places, as reported by news agency ANI.
Following the release of water from the Narmada Dam, the administration of the Narmada district ordered schools and colleges to remain shut on Monday in view of flood reports in many villages.