At least 26 people have died in the past three days as exceptionally heavy rain continues to pound Gujarat. Nearly 18,000 people have been evacuated from flood-hit areas, and the weather department has warned of extremely heavy rain in 11 districts today.
Among the deceased are seven people who went missing after the tractor-trolley they were traveling in was swept away while crossing an overflowing causeway near Dhavana village in Morbi district, according to a report by news agency PTI.
These deaths have been reported from the districts of Rajkot, Anand, Mahisagar, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Morbi, Junagadh, and Bharuch.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for rain in 11 districts across Gujarat and a yellow alert for 22 districts on Thursday. The ongoing heavy rain is due to a deep depression in the region.
Rain Alerts Across Gujarat
The IMD has issued a red alert for the Kachchh and Saurashtra regions, covering the districts of Kachchh, Dwarka, Jamnagar, Morbi, Surendranagar, Junagadh, Rajkot, Botad, Gir Somnath, Amreli, and Bhavnagar. Additionally, a yellow alert has been issued for North, Central, and South Gujarat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to assess the situation and assured the Centre’s support to the state.
Although the rain has stopped in Vadodara, flooding incidents were reported in several low-lying areas after the Vishwamitri river breached its banks and entered residential localities.
Rescue operations are in full swing, with over 6,000 people being relocated to safer places as water levels in rivers and dams rise across the state.
Gujarat Seeks Army Assistance
The Gujarat government has requested six Indian Army columns, one each in Dwarka, Anand, Vadodara, Kheda, Morbi, and Rajkot districts, for relief operations.Additionally, 14 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) platoons and 22 platoons from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have already been deployed to support disaster management efforts.
Visuals from across the state show widespread waterlogging and flooding, with rescue personnel evacuating people from affected areas.
Meanwhile, the road leading to the Statue of Unity in Vadodara has been damaged due to the heavy rain.
IMD Forecasts and Warnings
The IMD predicts that the depression will likely move out of the Kachchh and Saurashtra regions towards the Arabian Sea by August 30. However, there is a possibility of its temporary and marginal intensification over the northeast Arabian Sea on the same day.
The IMD further warned that these regions could experience localised flooding of roads, waterlogging in low-lying areas, and the closure of underpasses, especially in urban areas.
