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The IMD also warned of the possibility of localized flooding, road closures and waterlogging, especially in urban areas. (Image source: ANI)
Parts of Ahmedabad and the capital Gandhinagar were also inundated, leading to waterlogged street closures, flooding and damage to infrastructure.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday predicted that ” “Heavy to very heavy” rainfall.
Several areas of the coastal state were flooded and hundreds of residents were forced to move to safer locations. Navsari, in particular, experienced severe flooding, leading the IMD to issue a “red alert” for the region on Monday. More than 100 mm of rain fell in parts of Narmada, Sirendra Nagar, Rajkot, Tapi, Mahisagaram Morbi, Dahod and Vadodara districts.
Parts of Ahmedabad and the capital Gandhinagar were also inundated, leading to waterlogged street closures, flooding and damage to infrastructure. In Kutch, the Nachtrana-Lakhpat highway was inundated due to heavy rainfall, triggering a flood-like situation in the area.
Here are the hottest updates
- Hundreds of people were evacuated to safety in Valsad and Navsari districts as southern parts of Gujarat were hit by heavy rains over the weekend. Khergam taluka in Navsari district recorded the highest rainfall of 356 mm in the last 24 hours, which ended at 6 am on Monday, according to the National Emergency Operations Centre.
- The NDRF is conducting a search operation in Gujarat's Morbi district for seven people who were swept away along with a tractor-trolley while crossing a flooded causeway on a river during heavy rains, an official said on Monday. Ten of the 17 people on the tractor trolley were rescued in an overnight operation near the village of Dawana.
- Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has directed officials to evacuate residents from low-lying areas to safer places. His office said the areas worst affected by heavy rainfall include Valsad, Tapi, Navsari, Surat, Narmada and Panchmahal in south Gujarat.
- In view of heavy rains and floods in Gujarat, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Patel and was briefed on the current situation and assured the central government of all possible help.
- Dire conditions are also expected along the Gujarat coast and fishermen have been warned to stay put. Switzerland's International Institute for Management Studies in Lausanne has issued warnings about landslides, floods and damage to horticulture crops, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.
- Officials said the water level in the Sardar Sarovar Narmada dam rose sharply on Sunday and reached 135.30 meters, just a few meters below the full capacity of the reservoir of 138.68 meters, due to rainfall in the catchment area.
- During the current rains, southern parts of Gujarat have received more than 105% of the annual average rainfall, the highest in the state. Eight districts in southern Gujarat and Saurashtra have received more than 100% of the average annual rainfall.
- The storage capacity of 206 reservoirs in Gujarat is 364,000 cubic feet, accounting for 65% of the total capacity. Due to the sharp rise in water levels, 72 reservoirs have been placed on high alert and 15 reservoirs have been put on regular alert.
- SEOC data shows that northern Gujarat has received 64.91% of the annual average rainfall so far, while central and eastern Gujarat has received 68.84% of the annual average rainfall.
(Based on input from each agency)
