Talking to Express Newsline, Bharuch District Collector B B Swain said Shabbir Khan of Goali village, Jhagadia taluka, was washed away reportedly when he went in for a dip into the swollen nullah late on Monday night. His body has since been recovered.

Elsewhere in Bharuch district, 388 people were evacuated from low-lying areas to safer places in the city. ``This takes the total number of people moved to 2,313, and animals to 3,093'', Swain said, adding that the latest areas to be affected were Nikorpeth, Shuklateerth and Katod. The low-lying areas of Ankleshwar and Jhagadia talukas were not under any threat, he said.

Meanwhile, the Bharuch Flood Control Room said that as forecast, the Narmada had touched a height of 31.25 feet till evening. ``It is likely to cross 32.5 feet and remain stable till Wednesday'', officials said, adding that the release of water followed heavy rains.

In Vadodara district, the swollen Narmada continued to submerge all the 109 steps of the Narmada Ma temple in Chandod, while three temples on the banks reported three-feet-deep water inside.

Officials said an alert had been sounded in at least a dozen villages -- including Kanradi, Wadi, Bhimpura, Mandwa, Nandiria, Pura and Malsar -- in Karjan, Dabhoi and Shinor talukas. The overflowing river had marooned the villages, they said.

An official spokesman said that more than 100 officials were on duty at the villages. Announcing that a close watch would be maintained in the affected areas of the district throughout the night, District Collector Anil Mukim said the need to evacuate villagers had not risen so far.

NBA arrests
The Narmada Bachao Andolan said on Tuesday that, according to administrative sources in Maharashtra, 150 people -- including Andolan leader Medha Patkar -- had been arrested in Domkhedi as the waters rose on Tuesday evening. Nandini Oza of the NBA said that the four-person `samarpit dal', including Patkar, had been in neck-deep water. Waters have also reached a house at the lowest point in Jasindhi, Madhya Pradesh.