By Himanshu Jain

Large parts of the state have been witnessing very heavy showers. The extent of heavy rainfall can only be seen and understood if one goes through the Data that is now available from IMD.

As per the data Available from 1st June to 13th July 2022, The total rainfall has been 46.70% of the entire state average which is 840 mm. ie 397.02 mm rainfall only in this period. Last year it was 155.92 mm (18.56%) only.

In the 24-hour period that ended at 6 am on Friday, Kaprada taluka of Valsad recorded a 253 mm downpour.

It was followed by Chikhli of Navsari (244 mm), Sutrapada of Gir Somnath (240 mm), Gandevi or Navsari (231 mm), Dharampur of Valsad (212 mm), Navsari taluka (211 mm) and Jalalpor of Navsari (183 mm), the SEOC said.

On Friday, Talala taluka of Gir Somnath received 60 mm rainfall between 6 am and 10 am, followed by Kaprada of Valsad (49 mm), and Veraval of Gir Somnath (47 mm) and 38 mm in Gandevi taluka of Navsari.

The IMD has also warned that “extremely heavy rainfall” may occur at isolated places in the Navsari and Dang districts of south Gujarat and some places in the Saurashtra region, mainly Amreli, Junagadh, Bhavnagar and Gir Somnath in the next 24 hours.

This very heavy rainfall in a short period has brought life to a standstill in Gujarat and damaged Road and Property has affected a huge population in large number. Such unprecedented situations require a very proactive administration and quick response. The rest of the article examines the response of administration starting from CM and down to DMs.

The PM and the Home Ministers are monitoring the situation and have been giving all possible support from the centre.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and took stock of flood-like situations in some parts of the state. CM apprised the Prime Minister about the heavy rains and possible flooding in some parts of the state. The Prime Minister assured all help from the centre including sending extra teams of NDRF.

GUJARAT MODEL OF TACKLING EMERGENCY SITUATIONS :

Gujarat is a state known for its Dashboard of Chief Minister where immediately the data of the entire state is available at the click of a button.

On the 13th of July, CM Bhupendra Bhai Patel took an in-depth review of the disastrous situation in Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Navsari, Dang and Valsad districts due to heavy rains from the District Collectors and declared a red alert through the CM dashboard.

Before that CM also visited rain-affected districts Narmada, Navsari and Chhota Udaipur on Tuesday. where he was the CM was informed that people living in low-lying areas and slums in these districts had been relocated to safer areas and that they had been provided with basic facilities.

Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel then guided the district administrations of these five districts so that rescue and relief operations, power supply, water supply, health services as well as NDRF, and SDRF teams coordinate accordingly, he instructed the administration to take necessary safety measures and to minimize the loss of life.
Chief Minister also urged the administration to ensure adequate food facilities and other necessary facilities are provided to the people living in the shelters.

He said that especially in Navsari and Dang districts, as soon as the rainwater gets cleared road barracks should be removed and opened immediately. Moreover, he also instructed for cleaning of those areas.
The Chief Minister also asked the Collectors of this district to maintain constant coordination with the State Government for any further emergency help.

Three teams each from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Coast Guard helicopters were involved in rescue operations in Navsari district from where 12 people were stranded on the terrace of their homes in Sadakpore and Khund villages were taken to safety on Thursday.

NDRF rescued people in the Bhatha village of Navsari. About 30-40 people and 5 boats were brought for rescue. In the last days, about 200-250 people have been rescued.

As the water started receding in several parts of the flood-affected Navsari district, the state government appointed two additional collectors and four deputy collectors to oversee the cleaning activities in the district. Also, the administration will conduct a survey to assess the losses people have suffered as a consequence of the rain.

Teams of Surat Municipal Corporation have reached Navsari and started cleaning activities.

Under ‘Operation Niramaya’ in Navsari district, a team of 200 workers of Surat Municipal Corporation for cleaning, sludge removal, spraying of drugs after rainy conditions, more than 47 JCBs, five Dewatering pumps, tipper trucks, gulfer machines and more than 47 Help is reached with advanced equipment. Not only this but 40 health teams have also been deployed in the affected areas of Navsari district for disease prevention and control. As many as 14,900 people have been evacuated from rain-hit areas to shelters.

CM Bhupendra Patel reviewed the situation in Dang district, the district collector said that the intensity of rain is decreasing now and the water in the rivers has started receding. The road to Saputara which was closed due to mudslides and rock falls has been reopened for small vehicles.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel paid visits to the various flood-affected areas and did prompt surveillance :
“My government has responded quickly, restricting damage to life and property. There are 18 NDRF teams deployed across the state. To add, 18 SDRF platoons have also been deployed in Gujarat. A total of 8 teams (NDRF and SDRF) are reserved. More than 33,000 people have been shifted to safer locations,” said Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

Up till now, a significant downpour has caused power supply issues in 5150 residential settlements. The CM Bhupendra Patel has promised support for 156 municipalities totalling Rs. 17.1 crores for sanitation, solid waste management, etc.
The state administration uses social media to quickly alert the public about blockages, emergency hotlines, and Gujarat’s monsoon patterns.
5,278 people have been shifted from flood-affected areas to safer places in Chhota Udaipur district, 2,902 people in Navsari and 469 in Valsad and a few more in other rain-affected districts.

Collector Valsad raised a request to rescue people stranded due to flash floods on the banks of the Ambika river, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) immediately initiated a rescue operation and airlifted 16 people amidst marginal visibility in strong winds and heavy rains.

As rainfall recedes the team are ready to clean the areas to stop the spread of disease, Road Surveys have started, and the Clearing of roads is in full swing.

Natural calamities can strike but the Gujarat Model of Governance is ready with well-researched and rehearsed plans of action to minimise loss of life. Each District collector has enough stock of food, medicines, and equipment and has teams of rescuers at disposal. The main component is proper monitoring through the CM Dashboard at the topmost level using accurate data.

These plans for rescue and rehabilitation are ready and executed almost immediately. Each District collector is prepared well in advance for such situations.

Soon one will see Gujarat back on its feet, with smooth roads and rebuilt infrastructure. Gujarat Model has time and again proven its effectiveness since the time it started with Shri Narendra Modi as Chief Minister.

(Author can be reached at @HemanNamo on twitter)