Gujarat Monsoon Fury: Red Alert in Junagadh, Amreli; NDRF Deployed as Heavy Rains Unleash Flood-like Chaos – News18

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were deployed in Kutch, Jamnagar, Junagadh and Navsari after heavy rains inundated low-lying areas in cities and villages and creating a flood-like situation several parts of Gujarat on Saturday.

Extremely heavy showers which has been lashing the state for over 24 hours with Visavadar taluka in Junagadh district one of the worst hit after receiving an alarming 398 mm of rainfall, followed by Jamnagar taluka of Jamnagar district (269 mm), Kaprada in Valsad (247 mm), Anjar in Kutch (239 mm) and Khergam in Navsari (222 mm), according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) data.

The Vanthali Ozat Viar Dam in Junagarh also overflowed due to heavy rainfall in the region.

Rains have hit 144 talukas in the state of which, Dharampur taluka in Valsad district has recorded the highest rainfall, measuring 7 inches, according to government statement. Visavadar taluka in Junagadh received a significant downpour of 6.6 inches, while Bhesan taluka also experienced heavy rain with 6 inches recorded. Khergam taluka in Navsari witnessed 5.3 inches of rainfall.

According to officials, areas in many districts in Saurashtra-Kutch and south Gujarat regions received extremely heavy rainfall, causing waterlogging in low-lying areas and leaving villages submerged.

Gandhidham railway station in Kutch was inundated as the district received very heavy rain, while several villages and towns were flooded in Junagadh, Jamnagar, Kutch, Valsad, Navsari, Mehsana and Surat, officials said.

Visuals from Jamnagar showed houses and fields in the surrounding areas flooded due to heavy rainfall. In Ghed Panthak, some villages experienced water levels rising as high as 3-4 feet, inundating both fields and residential areas, according to News18 Gujarat.

A video footage shows houses and vehicles surrounded by water, with even a parked bus being stuck in the middle of the flooded area. Farmers in Ghed Panthak are deeply concerned about the waterlogging as it poses a significant threat to their crops, potentially resulting in heavy losses. Additionally, parts of Mangrol and Keshod are also facing severe waterlogging.

Normal life was thrown out of gear at several places in Ahmedabad city too as waterlogging led to heavy traffic jams and inconvenienced commuters.

Nine Rain-related Deaths

The heavy rains have claimed at least nine lives in the last three days, the SEOC release stated in a release on Friday. Four children were killed in Panchmahal district and two in Anand in incidents of wall collapse on Thursday, it said. Moreover, two men drowned in Jamnagar and Arvalli districts on Thursday, while a woman drowned in flood waters in Lathi taluka of Amreli district on Friday, the report said.

CM Holds Emergency Meeting

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel convened an emergency meeting with officials at the SEOC in Gandhinagar on Friday night and instructed them to prioritise rescue and relief efforts, particularly the evacuation of individuals residing in low-lying areas.

Patel spoke to collectors of Junagadh and Kutch districts, who briefed him about the rain situation, including waterlogging in villages in Visavadar taluka and evacuation of people along with other relief measures, a government release stated.

IMD Forecasts More Showers

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the intensity of rainfall is expected to decrease in the state on Saturday, and the situation is anticipated to gradually return to normal by Sunday.

However, the department cautioned that isolated areas in the districts of north and south Gujarat, as well as Saurashtra, may still experience heavy rainfall until Sunday morning. The IMD further stated that light to moderate rainfall will persist in various parts of the state until Wednesday morning.

The Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for heavy rain in Junagadh and Amreli while Bhavnagar and Gir Somnath have been placed under an orange alert. Rajkot, Botad and Porbandar have been issued a yellow alert.

Mahesh Palawat, Vice President, Meteorology at Skymet had on Friday said, “The June month is likely to end with 10 per cent deficit (in rain). However, the rain activity is likely to pick up in the next 7 days. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, maximum parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, eastern Rajasthan and coastal areas of Maharashtra and Karnataka are likely to receive heavy rains in the coming days. The impact of El-Nino may be witnessed in the second half of July.”