GANDHINAGAR: Gujarat government has decided to increase water supply through the Narmada canal-based pipelines, from 80-crorelitres to 120-crorelitres per day, in the wake of water scarcity in Saurashtra and Kutch.

This was decided by the state cabinet at its meeting on Wednesday which was chaired by chief minister Narendra Modi. A government spokesperson said water is being supplied through tankers to 523 villages even as a Rs 133.74-crore contingency masterplan has been prepared for implementation in villages likely to face shortages in the coming days.

As many as 70 people fell ill after drinking contaminated water supplied to their houses by the local body of Talala village here, officials said.

Rajkot: A number of eligible bachelors in the drought-struck Dedan village near Amreli are ruing their luck.

New Delhi: Union agriculture ministry has declared 17 districts of Gujarat consisting 132 talukas as drought-affected.

In a reply to Rajya Sabha MP Parimal Nathwani, union minister of water resources Harish Ravat stated that the districts include Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Amreli, Anand, Banaskantha, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Gandhinagar, Junagadh, Kheda, Kutch, Mehsana, Patan, Porbandar, Rajkot, Surendranagar and Vadodara. The minister also stated that, water being a state subject, planning, and execution and funding of water resources projects was within the purview of respective state governments.

The Union Government has declared 17 districts in Gujarat as drought-affected, Rajya Sabha MP Parimal Nathwani has said.

AHMEDABAD: The rate at which the swine flu virus has been engulfing a restricted number of districts in Saurashtra has been worrying state health department.

300 Families In Amreli Have Shifted To Coastal Areas With 8,000 Cattle

Rajkot: Dhandha nesh (traditional dwellings of maldharis) near Dhari, some 55 km from Amreli town, usually bustles with activity. People of this pastoral community sell milk to near-by dairies. In fact, this nesh is famous for its mava (milk solids used to make sweets), which is brought by large number of sweet shop owners.

For most part of the year, it's only the roar of Asiatic lions that breaks the tranquility of Mityala Wildlife Sanctuary in Amreli district.

3,000 More May Get Partially-Hit Tag In Saurashtra

Gandhinagar: On Wednesday morning, residents in Amreli left every other chore so that they could store water. The Saurashtra town received water supply after a gap of 20 days! Fearing that situation may get out of hands, the state government plans to declare about 1,000 villages as drought affected and an additional 3,000 villages as partially-affected. The move comes after MLAs from Saurashtra and Kutch —the two regions have received just 35% of the average rainfall — raised issues like drinking water scarcity, fodder shortage and migration on the sidelines of the two-day assembly session.

Amreli Activist Beaten Up By Stone-Crushing Unit Owner

Rajkot: An RTI (Right to Information Act) applicant was attacked on Sunday in Thordi village in Savarkundla taluka of Amreli district. According to sources, Narshibhai Malani, a resident of Thordi, was allegedly attacked by the owner of a stone crushing unit, Mahesh Khuman, on Sunday morning. Narshibhai was rushed to a government hospital after the attack. Malani has registered a case against Khuman with Savarkundla taluka police station.