Heavy rainfall hit Gujarat on Monday, leading to water logging and traffic disruptions in several parts of the state. The National Disaster Response Force was deployed for rescue operations and the Air Force was put on alert. Gir Somnath district was the worst affected with four villages marooned due to flooding.
An NDRF team rescued 70 passengers stuck in a local train at Girgodada railway station in Gir Somnath district due to water-logging on tracks, reported ANI. Another team evacuated around 85 people who were stranded in Surat’s Sant Nagar Colony which was flooded after the rains.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani held an emergency meeting to assess the preparedness. He said that six to seven districts were affected due to the rains and 15 teams of NDRF were deployed, reported PTI.
“We have sought five more NDRF teams,” Rupani said. “While the situation today [Monday] is under control, the disaster management machinery has been asked to remain prepared as the forecast is of heavy rains in the next five days.”
The India Meteorological Department has warned of heavy rain and very heavy rain in isolated places over Gujarat and the Saurashtra region till July 21.
Additional Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar said that the state government sought the help of the Air Force after four villages in Gir Gadhada taluk in Gir Somnath district were cut off in the incessant rains. Gir Somnath Collector Ajay Prakash said an NDRF team was stationed at Una as several rivers in the region were overflowing.
According to a disaster management official, several districts in Saurashtra like Gir Somnath, Amreli, Bhavnagar and Junagadh, and districts in South Gujarat like Navsari and Valsad have received heavy rainfall over the past two days. In Navsari, 365 people were evacuated, while 50 people were evacuated in Amreli and 85 at Olpad in Surat.
In Amreli, residents formed a human chain to rescue 35 passengers of a bus which was stranded on a flooded road near Rajula. The bus was on its way from Surat to Bhavnagar.
The Bagdana-Talaja and the Somnath-Bhavnagar highways were closed due to flooding, reported Tv9 Gujarati
Within six hours on Monday morning, Gir Gadhada taluk in Gir Somnath district received 307 mm rainfall, the highest in the state, followed by Una receiving at 258 mm, PTI reported, quoting data released by the state emergency operation centre.
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