Gandhinagar: Following are the main updates of the situation after heavy to very heavy rains in parts of Gujarat:

– Ghodapipar dam in Rajkot is full and surplus water is being released. Lalpari talav is overflowing. Around ten small dams in Rajkot district are full of water. Low lying areas are alerted.

– Saurashtra Express train has stuck near Jam Vanthli as railway track has washed away due to flooding water of Kankavati dam.

– Dholidhaja dam in Wadhvan is full and surplus water is being released.

– Two persons are trapped in Bhogavo river due to release of water in Dholidhaja dam. NDRF team has reached to rescue them. They are safe.

– Ahmedabad – Surendranagar highway is closed for traffic due to collapse of bridge near Dedadra.

– Schools/colleges in Rajkot are observing holiday due to heavy rain since last evening.

– Many areas in Rajkot are waterlogged. Under bridges are closed for traffic. Local administration has permitted people to drive vehicles in BRTS lane.

– Low lying areas in Chotila are water logged.

– Dhanera – Tharad highway is closed for traffic due to breach in causeway.

– Over 1300 people are shifted to safer places in Tankara.

– Sabarkantha is witnessing heavy rain. The highest is experienced in Himmatnagar.

– Und dam s full and surplus water is being released. Low lying areas are alerted.

– Chief Minister Rupani is holding high-level meeting to review the situation of water logging/flooding.

– People are shifted to safer places following release of water from Machhu dam.

– Tankara – Morbi highway is affected by water logging. Buses on this route are not operated.

– Schools are observing holiday in Morbi.

– One persons is dead in Rajkot district due to flood. District Collector confirmed this detail.

– Gujarat government has conveyed that 11 talukas have received over five inch rain in last 24 hours.

– Rajkot rural, Padadhari and city received 17-18 inch rain in last 24 hours.

– 70-80 persons are rescued and taken to safer places in Rajkot district. Rajkot district collector has demanded of NDRF team. In response to his demand, one team of NDRF has been moved to Rajkot from Morbi.

Detailed story:

Gandhinagar/Ahmedabad/Rajkot/Palanpur/Surat:

Spells of extremely heavy rains in last 24 hours mostly during last night and early morning today have thrown life completely out of gear at many places in Gujarat with Chotila in Surendranagar district receiving the maximum 450 mm ( around 18 inches) of rain and Tankara in Morbi, which had seen around 11 inches of downpour just a fortnight ago saw 340mm (around 14 inches).

Teams of NDRF have been deployed in various areas including Morbi, Surendranagar, Banaskantha for rescue operations. So far it has rescued over 100 people from rain flooded areas and was also conducting a helicopter based operation in Suredranagar to rescue 3 people trapped by suddenly surged river Bhogavo near Krishnagagar.

An estimated over 5000 people have been shifted to safer places. However no loss of life has been reported so far even as reports of washing away of cattle and flooding of villages have been received.

Amid other places which received extremely heavy to very heavy rain are Kaprada in Valsad (260mm), Rajkot (238 mm till 0830 am this morning and was till raining taking it over 340mm), Muli (Surendranagar- 160mm), Paddhari (Rajkot-159 mm), Kapadvanj (Kheda- 144mm), Poshina (Sabarkantha- 137mm), Kalol (Gandhinagar- 133mm), Wankaner (Morbi- 132mm), Danta (Banaskantha 130mm), Jamnagar (124mm), Deesa (Banaskantha 117mm) and Balasinor (Mahisagar- 107mm).

A total of 218 Talukas in 32 districts have received rain in last 24 horus of which 28 have received over 3 inches.

Around 31 roads across the state including Surendranagar-Ahmedabad highway has been closed owing to water logging. Several villages have also lost contact with other parts owing to rain caused water logging and floods. Bus services have also been affected. Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation has cancelled its buses on some of the routes including in Rural Rajkot.

Ahmedabad city has however received only an inch of rain while Bavala in the district has received maximum of around two inches in the district. Two sluice gates of Vasna dam were opened to discharge the rain water from river Sabarmati.

Seasonal rain percentage in the state has jumped by around 4% in just last 24 hours to 33.40%.

At many places including Morbi and Rajkot School and colleges have been closed today in the wake of the heavy rain and water logging.

Water has filled various under passes and logged over important roads in Rajkot city throwing life out of gear there. Special permission to use the BRTS corridor for common vehicles has been granted in the wake of water logging. Collector Vikrant Pandey said that the overall rain figure till this noon was around 17 inches. Water level of Aaji river has surged and Lalpari pond has overflown.

Meanwhile, Several dams have also overflown or seen a surge in water levels owing to rain and sluice gates of major dams in Saurashtra including Machhu 2 and 3 have been opened to discharge excess water. Rivers have also seen sudden surge prompting district administrations to issue alert for people living in adjoining areas and even shifting some of them to safer areas.

Meanwhile met department has said that the heavy to very heavy spells of rain would continue for the next 2 to 3 days.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani will hold an emergency meeting with concerned authorities to review the situation.

Notably almost a fortnight ago also Morbi, Gir Somnath and Banakskatha district had seen very heavy spells of rain (up to 13 inches with 11 inches in Tankara) prompting rescue operations by NDRF, which this time around has also been deployed and was additionally kept on stand by in Vadodara and Gandhinagar. It was also conducting rescue operation in parts of Banaskantha, Morbi and Surendranagar.

DeshGujarat