Floods turn Rajasthan desert area into 'sea'

An Indian soldier carries a child as flood victims disembark from a rescue boat in the village of Kawas in Barmer District, some 400kms from Jaipur Sunday. At least 150 people were killed and dozens more are missing in massive floods caused by monsoon rains that have swamped the normally drought-prone desert state of Rajasthan. PHOTO: AFP

Tens of thousands of people have been displaced in Barmer, a sprawling district that borders Pakistan and is known for its sand dunes and widely spread villages. Dozens of people are missing.

"The desert looks like a sea. There is no place where one can walk," Captain Saurabh Modi, an army officer who is involved in relief operations in Barmer, told Reuters by telephone.

Hundreds of people marooned on sand dunes, surrounded by over 15 feet (5 metres) of water, were being rescued by military helicopters and motorised navy dinghies.

Most of the deaths in Rajasthan in the week-long flooding were caused by drowning and house collapses.

"Several bodies are being fished out from the swirling waters," Rajasthan Relief Secretary R.K. Meena said.

A layer of gypsum below the sandy surface is preventing brownish flood waters from seeping into the ground in the region, slowing down relief efforts. Gypsum is a mineral used in the building industry.

"If the flood water does not drain, we will have to puncture the gypsum layer," said a senior government official.

Hundreds of desperate villagers scrambled for food packets dropped by helicopters. Many whose homes have been flooded or collapsed are living huddled in tents of plastic sheets.