Gujarat: 17 Districts on Flash Flood Alert, Orange Warning for Three
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a 'moderate flash flood risk' alert for 17 districts in Gujarat until Wednesday 11:30 am. The warning, issued by the IMD Hydromet Division's Flash Flood Guidance Cell, covers Rajkot, Surendranagar, Botad, Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad, Kheda, Anand, Vadodara, Panchmahal, Bharuch, Chhota Udepur, Narmada, Dang, Navsari, Surat, Tapi, and Valsad.
The bulletin, released on Tuesday, cautioned that surface runoff and inundation may occur in areas with fully saturated soil and low-lying regions due to expected rainfall over the next 24 hours. The IMD's Ahmedabad unit has also issued an orange alert for Dang, Navsari, and Valsad on July 8, indicating heavy to very heavy rainfall. Additionally, a yellow alert has been declared for Dahod, Narmada, Surat, Tapi, Chhota Udepur, Amreli, and Bhavnagar, warning of heavy rain. Other districts are likely to experience moderate thunderstorms and rain, accompanied by lightning and surface winds up to 40-50 kmph on Wednesday.
In response, the Gujarat government has put authorities on alert. Minister Jitu Vaghani, in charge of Amreli and Rajkot districts, virtually reviewed preparations in Amreli, Rajkot, and Bhavnagar with district officials on Tuesday. He directed continuous monitoring of dam safety and rivers. Officials from PGVCL, water supply, irrigation, roads, and buildings have been told to remain standby to restore essential services quickly in case of disruptions like power outages, water supply interruptions, or road blockages. District administrations have been ordered to conduct further inspections of dilapidated buildings and hoardings, removing any unsafe structures immediately.
Amreli district has received an average of 12 inches of rain this monsoon, over 42% of its seasonal average. More than two inches fell in the 24 hours ending Tuesday morning. Two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed for rescue and relief. So far this monsoon, 76 people have been rescued and 641 relocated in the district.
Bhavnagar district has recorded 8 inches of rain, over 30% of its seasonal average, with over 3 inches in the last 24 hours. One NDRF team is deployed. At Otha village in Mahuva taluka, eight people from Ahmedabad were rescued after their car was swept away by strong currents in the Malan river. A total of 982 shelters have been designated for evacuations.
Rajkot district has received over 5 inches of rain, more than 18% of its seasonal average, with less than 1 inch in the last 24 hours. One NDRF and one State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team have been deployed.
In Ahmedabad, a garbage collection dumper slipped into a caved-in road portion near Vaishali Township on Tuesday. No casualties were reported. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation officials said a crack in an underground line might have caused the cave-in, but a detailed inspection is needed. The city recorded an average of 17.87 mm rainfall on Tuesday, with areas like Makhtampura (28.5 mm), Kotarpur (23.5 mm), Sardarnagar (22.5 mm), Naroda (21.5 mm), and Chandkheda (21 mm) receiving rain until 6 pm.
