Gujarat experienced a significant weather event on Monday, with the city of Bharuch receiving 120 millimeters of rain in just two hours. The intense rainfall occurred between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., exacerbating the already critical flooding situation in the state. This downpour followed a brief two-day lull in rainfall, which had come after a period of extremely heavy rains.
According to officials, south Gujarat districts such as Bharuch, Tapi, Dangs, and Navsari were hit hardest, with Songadh and Vyara talukas in Tapi district and Vaghai in Dangs recording over 200 millimeters of rain within a 12-hour period ending at 6 p.m. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings for continued widespread rain across Gujarat throughout the week.
Currently, 10 rivers and 132 reservoirs in Gujarat are overflowing, including the Purna and Ambika rivers in Navsari district, which have surpassed the danger mark. The state government has issued high alerts and has been actively involved in flood management and relief efforts.
The IMD has forecast ‘heavy to very heavy’ rain in isolated areas of Chhota Udepur, Narmada, and Surat districts until Wednesday morning. The cyclone ‘Asna,’ which had formed off the coast of Kutch, has now downgraded to a depression and moved further south-southwestwards in the Arabian Sea.
In response to the flooding, Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi visited Vadodara to oversee relief and restoration activities. The floods, which impacted Vadodara heavily last week, led to the evacuation of 20,000 residents and the rescue of 6,330 individuals. The government has provided ₹1.76 crore in assistance to 64,360 affected urban residents and ₹56 lakh to 84,970 rural residents. Additionally, ₹2.44 crore has been allocated for household assistance to 9,768 families.
Efforts are underway to repair the significant damage to infrastructure. The state Roads and Buildings Department reported damage to 3,610 kilometers of roads, while the National Highway Authority of India is addressing damage to 139 kilometers of its roads. Around 466 repair teams, comprising 6,487 workers, are actively engaged in the repair operations.
Sources By Agencies
