Many police stations lost valuable police records, case files, crucial evidences and equipment during the flood. While the worst hit was the Katargam police station, which was submerged under water for over 36 hours, police stations at Ichhapore, Rander, Kapodara and Chowk Bazaar too were affected.

According to the Katargam police officials, flood waters gushed into the station and 80 per cent of the records were washed away. The two police chowkies of Amroli and Paras under its jurisdiction too were totally submerged in the waters.

Recalling the incident, Head Constable Chhanabhai Narsinh said,``The force of the water was so strong that it swept away the cupboards, tables and chairs. Though three of us who were in the police station managed to put the television, the wireless set and a few records in the attic, we could not save the rest of the records''.

The account writer head of the Katargam police station Thakorebhai Maganbhai recalled,``There was no way the files could be saved. Water was rising steadily and the few of us who were present found it difficult to even save the wireless set''.

Interestingly, two suspects who had been picked up for interrogations came in handy. Said PSO Kevjibhai Sadayabhai, ``The two suspects were freed from the lock up, but instead of escaping, they helped us shift the wireless sets and other important equipment to safer places''.

Additional Commissioner of Police C H Surendra Prasad, while admitting that the flood waters in the police station did wash away a few records, claimed that the losses would not hamper investigations. The official said that most of the records which were wet had begun to dry and would be updated soon.

The Rander police station, being a one-storeyed structure suffered lesser losses. But the office on the ground floor, which was submerged under water for more than 36 hours, did suffer the brunt of the flood.

``The breaches at the Hanuman Tekra and the weir were unpardonable. How could the walls be made of bricks, when it could not stand the pressure?'' questioned Additional Commissioner of Police P C Thakur, who had been manning the Rander and Adajan areas. No records of these police station were, however, lost, the official claimed.

The other police stations affected were the Ichhapore and Athwa Lines, which were in about a feet of water. All records of the Ved Road police chowky, which was under eight feet of water, were also damaged although constables present there made attempts to put them at higher places.

Besides the police stations, the Magdalla Police Lines and the Athwa Lines Police Lines -- both residential areas for the constabulary -- too suffered heavy losses. A handicapped constable Baburao died because of drowning when he could not swim across to safety while water was filling up the Magdalla police lines on Thursday.