Gujarat floods: Patan and Banaskantha declared 'disaster-affected', to remain in category till 15 August

Ahmedabad: A week after torrential rains leading to flood wreaked havoc in north Gujarat, state revenue department has declared Banaskantha and Patan districts as 'disaster-affected areas'.The announcement was made by the department through a Gazette notification issued on Tuesday, which was made available on Wednesday.[caption id="attachment_3855731" align="alignleft" width="380"] Representational image. PTI[/caption]These districts were declared as flood-affected areas as per the provisions of 'Gujarat State Disaster Management Act of 2003', said the notification.The decision to declare these two districts, which were hit the most by the flood, as 'disaster affected', was based on the recommendation of respective collectors of these districts, it said.As per the notification, all the tehsils of both these districts were affected by heavy rain and flood.These districts will remain in the category of 'disaster-affected areas' till 15 August, it said.As many as 218 people were killed in various rain-related incidents across the state this monsoon season.Among these, 61 deaths were reported in Banaskantha alone, while seven had died in neighbouring Patan district, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre.Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani has been camping in the flood-affected areas since last five days to monitor the relief operations.During this period, Rupani has visited many villages and towns of both the districts, said a release on Tuesday.