The National Disaster Response Force was deployed to evacuate residents in Vadodara on Wednesday night after the city was hit by heavy rain followed by flash floods. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani urged residents near the banks of the Vishwamitri river to move to safer places for the night.
Rupani held a review meeting with officials and deputed two Indian Administrative Service officers to guide the local administration in relief work. He visited the State Emergency Operation Centre in Gandhinagar to take stock of the situation, and ordered a night-long rescue operation with the help of the NDRF and the fire brigade.
The rain raised the water level of the Vishwamitri river and caused waterlogging in the city. Vadodara received 556.8 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Thursday, according to the India Meteorological Department. Schools will remain closed on Thursday.
The airport was shut on Wednesday and operations have been stopped till 9 am on Friday, according to India Today. Some trains were cancelled by the Western Railway due to waterlogging on tracks, while some were diverted.
Western Railway said that help desks have been opened at major railways stations and stalls have been opened to provide passengers with food and water.
Ahmedabad received 58 mm rainfall on Wednesday. The India Meteorological Department has forecast “heavy to very heavy rains” in several parts of Gujarat, including Saurashtra, during the next two days.
Vice President Meteorology and Climate Change at Skymet Weather, Mahesh Palawat said another heavy spell of rain in Vadodara is expected on August 2 and August 3. “Relief work may get hampered,” he said in a tweet.
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