Ahmedabad: The state government has admitted that the water crisis looms large over Saurashtra region. Even in January, a total of 74 villages in three talukas of Junagadh faced severe crisis. The government said that atotal of 216 dams in Rajkot and Kutch have gone dry.

In written reply to a question from Somnath MLA Jasa Barad, the state government said that Junagadh city was being given an additional 50 lakh litres of water every day. In far off villages in Sutrapada, Junagadh and Veraval, the water was being supplied through water tankers. In Junagadh, the number of villages where water was supplied with tankers was 42, followed by 26 in Sutrapada and six in Veraval taluka.

An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale jolted Gujarat tonight but there was no immediate report of any casualty or damage.

The epicentre of the quake of moderate intensity, which shook the state at around 2248 hours, was 20km south east of Sasangir near Vansthli town in Junagadh district, said Indian Met Department.

On July 21, barely a fortnight after he filed a PIL in the Gujarat High Court seeking an end to illegal limestone mining along the Gir wildlife sanctuary, 36-year-old activist Amit Jethava was killed. He was shot from point blank range on a busy highway in Ahmedabad, minutes after he came out of his lawyer

Gandhinagar: The World Bank (WB) has agreed to enhance total funds to be made available for development and modernization of urban infrastructure in selected towns from $162.5 million to a maximum of $300 million.