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An exceptionally heavy rainfall alert was in place in Gujarat and parts of the Saurashtra region for the next few days as torrential downpours battered the state on Monday and Tuesday morning, inundating low-lying areas and killing three people in rain-related incidents, while nearly 20,000 people were evacuated to safer places.
According to an updated bulletin by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy rainfall was predicted in several districts of the state till the morning of August 29. The exceptionally heavy rainfall warning indicates a rare and intense weather event that can lead to severe disruptions and pose significant risks to life and property.
A red alert was sounded for as many as 27 districts of Gujarat for the next three days beginning Tuesday.
The districts in which the red alert has been issued include: Kutch, Morbi, Surendranagar, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Dwarka, Porbandar, Gir Somnath, Junagadh, Panchmahal, Dahod, Tapi, Navsari, Valsad, Ahmedabad, Botad, Amreli, Anand, Kheda, Mahisagar, Panchmahal, Narmada, Vadodara, Chhota Udepur, Surat, and Dang.
Meanwhile, an orange alert for rainfall has been issued for the remaining six districts: Banaskantha, Patan, Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Sabarkantha, and Aravalli.
As per the IMD, strong surface winds reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph were very likely over Gujarat, along and off the state's coast and adjoining northeast Arabian Sea till August 28.
On August 29, squally winds reaching 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph were likely to prevail along and off the Gujarat coast and the adjoining northeast Arabian Sea.
The extremely heavy rainfall in Gujarat is due to a depression over Northwest Madhya Pradesh and adjoining east Rajasthan, which has intensified into a deep depression, according to the IMD.
In the past 24 hours, several districts of the state, including Vadodara, Panchmahal, Jamnagar, Junagadh and Kutch, have received heavy rainfall.
As per data shared by the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), Tankara taluka in Morbi district and Morva Hadaf in Panchmahal district received 355 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours. In addition, Borsad taluka in Anand received 268 mm of rainfall, followed by Vadodara taluka in Vadodara district with 262 mm, and Nadiad taluka in Kheda district with 232 mm.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said South Gujarat received 105 per cent, and Kutch 95.8 per cent of its average annual rainfall for the season, while central, north Gujarat and Saurashtra have received 77 per cent, 70.74 per cent and 91 per cent of rain.
Apart from Gujarat, isolated heavy rainfall was very likely over Chhattisgarh on August 29, 30 and September 1, Konkan and Goa between August 28 and September 1, Madhya Maharashtra between August 29 and September 1 and Vidarbha region on August 29 and 30, the IMD said.
Isolated very heavy rainfall was predicted in Konkan and Goa on August 27, ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra on August 27 and 28 and Vidarbha region on August 31, the weather office predicted.
Bhupendra Patel held a virtual meeting with district collectors, superintendents of police, and senior civic officials of all major cities to review the current situation. The state education department has declared a holiday for primary schools across the state on Tuesday.
In a tweet, the Chief Minister said he spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone to get details of the situation caused by heavy rainfall. He also said he was assured of the necessary assistance, including sending more help from central forces for rescue relief and disaster management in the state if required.
State commissioner of relief Alok Kumar Pandey said in view of the red alert issued by the IMD, all collectors have been asked to cancel leaves taken by their staff.
The Chief Minister also instructed secretaries of concerned departments to take necessary steps, such as restoring electricity in affected areas, Pandey said.
"As many as 1,653 people have been rescued so far with the help of the NDRF, SDRF and Coast Guard. Apart from this, 17,800 people have been evacuated to safer places as a precautionary measure so far," he said.
Hundreds of people were shifted to safer places due to the rise in the water level of rivers and dams. At least 280 people were shifted to safer places from the low-lying areas in Bharuch city after nearly 4 lakh cusecs of water was released into the river Narmada from Sardar Sarovar Dam, officials said.
Alok Kumar Pandey said three people have died in rain-related incidents in the past 24 hours and the total death toll for this season stood at 99.
Amid incessant heavy rainfall in Navsari in south Gujarat and water levels in Purna, Kaveri and other rivers crossing the danger mark, more than 1,500 people have been relocated, collector Agre Kshipra Suryakantrao said.
At least 13 teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 22 teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed in the districts affected by heavy rainfall to assist in rescue and relief operations.
At least seven people are missing after a trolley tractor carrying them got swept away while passing through an overflowing causeway in Halvad taluka of Morbi district. According to officials, they remained untraceable despite a nearly 20-hour search operation involving the NDRF and SDRF.
In Sabarkantha district, a car with two people was washed away in the strong currents of a causeway near Katwad village. They were rescued after locals alerted the fire brigade. Amid heavy rainfall, part of a bridge on National Highway 56 was damaged due to the strong flow of water in the river Bharaj in Chhota Udepur district, affecting the movement of vehicles.
"An increase in the inflow of water in the river Bharaj due to heavy rainfall upstream damaged the bridge near pillar number three," Chhota Udepur Collector Anil Dhameliya said.
Vadodara, Anand, Kheda and Panchmahals districts received very heavy rainfall on Monday, causing waterlogging in low-lying areas and underpasses and leaving several persons stranded.
Authorities have urged people to remain indoors and not venture near water bodies.
