Amidst heavy rainfall over the past two days, various regions in Gujarat have been submerged, leading to the displacement of hundreds of residents to safer areas. Navsari has been particularly impacted by severe flooding, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a “red alert” for the district on Monday, August 26.
Navsari district collector Kshipra S Agre, quoted by ANI, stated, “A red alert has been issued for Navsari district on the 25th and 26th of August… Maximum rainfall of 527 mm has been recorded, but it has not caused any damage in the district… The water level of the Purna and Kaveri rivers is above the danger level… As a precautionary measure, 102 people have been shifted from the Bilimora Nagar Palika.”
A video from ANI depicted the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescuing a person stranded in the Auranga River in Valsad’s Khanjan Palia region.
#WATCH | Gujarat: NDRF team rescued a person stuck in the Auranga river in the Khanjan Palia area of Valsad
(Source: NDRF) pic.twitter.com/IVDdzV2vZM
— ANI (@ANI) August 25, 2024
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel directed officials on Sunday to evacuate people from low-lying areas to safer locations, according to ANI. The Chief Minister’s Office reported that the districts most affected by the downpour include Valsad, Tapi, Navsari, Surat, Narmada, and Panchmahal in South Gujarat.
The IMD predicts ongoing ‘heavy to very heavy’ rainfall in several areas, with isolated instances of ‘extremely heavy’ rain expected in the south Gujarat districts of Vadodara, Surat, Bharuch, Navsari, Valsad, as well as in Amreli and Bhavnagar in the Saurashtra region, continuing until Tuesday morning. Additionally, ‘heavy to very heavy’ rain with isolated ‘extremely heavy’ downpours is anticipated in the districts of Anand, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Morbi, Dwarka, and Kutch on Tuesday.
Impact on Normal Life:
Officials reported that several hundred people were relocated to safety in Valsad and Navsari districts as continuous rainfall over the past 48 hours inundated low-lying areas, severely disrupting daily life and traffic. According to the State Emergency Operation Centre, Vapi taluka in Valsad district recorded 326 mm of rainfall in 24 hours ending at 6 am on Sunday, the highest in the state, while Khergam in Navsari received 248 mm since 6 am.
Chief Minister Patel also communicated with the collectors of the affected districts to receive detailed updates on the situation, ensuring full support from the SDRF and NDRF.
Valsad SDM Astha Solanki stated, “There has been around 120 mm of rainfall in the city of Valsad since last night… Keeping this in mind, the water level in Kashmir Nagar of Valsad has started rising. So people are being shifted from here. So far, about a hundred families have been shifted.”
Due to rainfall in catchment areas, the water level at the Sardar Sarovar Narmada dam significantly increased, reaching 135.30 meters on Sunday, just below its full capacity of 138.68 meters. In response, 15 radial gates were opened to discharge water as the dam received 265,748 cusecs from upstream.
As of Sunday, Gujarat’s 206 reservoirs held 3.64 lakh million cubic feet of water, 65% of their total capacity. Among these, 72 were on high alert, and 15 were on alert due to the rapid rise in water levels. The state has received 81.81% of its average annual rainfall this season, with south Gujarat receiving 97.52%, Kutch 90.18%, and Saurashtra 84.92%.
