Water-logged roads, bridges throw Raj districts out of gear

The flood-ravaged districts of Rajasthan are reeling under the after-effects. While the water has subsided in Jalore and Sanchore, it has left behind threat of disease outbreak. With roads and bridge-connectivity have not been adequately restored, health officials are facing a tough time in travelling to affected villages for distribution of medicines.

A steep rise in temperature over the last few days has also added to the worry and intensive fogging is also being undertaken in the two districts to check the breeding of mosquitoes.

The villages of Khejadliya, Akudiya, Khagla and Piparla, in Jalore, saw the local legislator Sukhram Vishnoi wading in water with medicines to distribute to the people. The villages that fall under his constituency Sanchore are still cut-off by water. "We are putting in our best efforts. Our priority is to send food and medicine should to the victims regularly," said Vishnoi.

Even though the rainfall was comparatively lesser in Barmer the problem of waterlogging is intense. Huge reserves of water are still collected in Dhorimanna and Gudamalani, that make the area look quite unlike its desert character. Barmer has a deep layer of gypsum under the soil and that thus percolation of water is not possible. The administration is yet to bring in submergible pumps to bring out the water. This too has increased the disease threat in the area. Jhakhrda Arniyali.

Incidentally, even after the 2006 floods in Barmer, water had to be pumped out of the affected areas for over several months.

As per the Barmer district collector Shiv Prasad Madan Nakate , "Pumps will be soon be installed to remove water. Our priority will be those areas that are affecting connectivity."

The districts - Jalore, Sirohi and Barmer - are limping back to normalcy. However, the acute damage of roads and bridges in the affected areas is making the process difficult.