NDRF rescues Indian cricket star Radha Yadav amid severe flooding in Gujarat
Vadodara: Amidst relentless downpours and severe flooding across several cities in Gujarat, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) successfully rescued Indian Women’s Cricket Team left-arm spinner, Radha Yadav, from a precarious situation in Vadodara. The cricketer shared her ordeal on Instagram, expressing gratitude to the NDRF for their timely intervention.
Radha Yadav posted a video on her Instagram story on Wednesday, showing NDRF officials rescuing a group of people, including herself, in a boat. The footage captured the aftermath of the Vishwamitri River breaching its banks, which resulted in widespread flooding across low-lying areas of Vadodara.
"We are stuck in a very bad situation. We are so grateful to the #NDRF for saving us," Radha Yadav wrote in her Instagram story, highlighting the gravity of the situation. The cricketer's residence was among the many affected by the sudden surge of floodwaters that submerged roads, buildings, and vehicles across the city.
Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan also took to social media, urging residents of Vadodara to remain indoors amid the flooding. "Stay safe, Baroda. Flooding is widespread, so please stay indoors for your own safety," Pathan advised on the microblogging platform X.
The intense rainfall in Gujarat has created havoc across various regions, particularly in the Saurashtra area. Between 50 mm and 200 mm of rain was recorded in districts like Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Rajkot, and Porbandar within a 12-hour period ending at 6 pm on Wednesday. The Bhanvad taluka of Devbhumi Dwarka district experienced the heaviest downpour, receiving 185 mm of rainfall during this period.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the Saurashtra region will continue to experience heavy rainfall, with some districts expected to receive very heavy rain on Thursday.
In response to the crisis, the NDRF, along with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and three Army columns, launched extensive rescue operations across the affected areas. Over 17,800 people have been evacuated to safer locations, and an additional 2,000 individuals have been rescued from their homes and rooftops in Vadodara city alone, officials reported.
The Indian Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard have also been deployed to assist in the rescue and relief efforts. Despite these measures, the situation remains dire, with rain-related accidents claiming up to 26 lives over the past three days. Fatalities were reported in districts including Rajkot, Anand, Mahisagar, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Morbi, Junagadh, and Bharuch. On Tuesday alone, nine people lost their lives in various rain-related incidents, including wall collapses and drownings.
The star spinner of women Indian cricket team Radha Yadav took to social media to share that she was in a ‘very bad! pic.twitter.com/e1dRU6c1Tt
— Daddyscore (@daddyscore) August 29, 2024
Stay safe, Baroda. Flooding is widespread, so please stay indoors for your own safety.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) August 28, 2024
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Rupee falls 20 paise to 95.43 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 20 paise to 95.43 against US dollar in early trade on Tuesday as market sentiments remained fragile after renewed military exchanges between US and Iranian forces in the Gulf region.
Forex traders said investor anxiety due to instability in the Gulf is causing massive capital flight into safe-haven assets, with the US dollar acting as the primary beneficiary.
Moreover, Brent oil prices is hovering near USD 113 per barrel, maintaining pressure on oil-importing economies like India.
At the interbank foreign exchange market the rupee opened at 95.30 then lost ground to touch 95.43 against the US dollar, in initial trade, registering a fall of 20 paise over its previous close.
Rupee fell 39 paise to close at an all-time low of 95.23 against the US dollar on Monday.
"With oil boiling rupee on Monday fell to a closing low of 95.0875 and this morning the opening was still lower as it becomes more and more vulnerable when dollar index rises due to safe-haven buying and oil prices rise due to the continuous fighting in the Gulf Region," Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, said.
The higher oil prices will keep rupee sold off against the dollar as oil companies and FPIs intensify dollar buying, Bhansali added.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading at 98.51, up 0.15 per cent.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading lower by 1.07 per cent at USD 113.22 per barrel in futures trade.
"Market sentiments remained fragile after renewed military exchanges between US and Iranian forces when Iranian forces launched fresh attacks in the Gulf as both sides sought to assert control over the strategic waterway," Bhansali said.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex declined 361.62 points to 76,907.78 in early trade, while the Nifty dropped 134.90 points to 23,980.60.
Foreign Institutional Investors purchased equities worth Rs 2,835.62 crore on Monday, according to exchange data.
