More than 200 people were rescued and around 10,000 shifted to safer locations, as heavy rains lashed several parts of Gujarat on Sunday, flooding low-lying areas and cutting off several villages. The Narmada and other rivers are in full spate in south and central regions of the State.
According to the State government, 207 people stranded in floodwaters were rescued from different places while around 10,000 people from Narmada, Bharuch, Vadodara, Dahod and Godhara districts were moved from low-lying areas.
The heavy discharge of water from Sardar Sarovar Dam (SSD), which touched its full reservoir level of 138.68 metres on Sunday morning, into the Narmada river due to widespread rain in the catchment areas in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, led to extensive flooding in low-lying areas in Narmada district.
Other rivers in central Gujarat districts like Mahisagar are also in spate, causing flooding in low-lying areas and villages.
Apart from Narmada, owing to the heavy downpour, rain-fed rivers such as Orsang, Heran, Mahi, Meshri and Panam are swollen amid release of water from various dams, resulting in the inundation of low-lying villages along the river banks.
The State authorities have announced that schools and other educational institutions would remain shut on Monday in Dahod, Bharuch and Godhara districts as more rainfall is expected.
Even in Ahmedabad, several areas were waterlogged after the city received 76 mm of rainfall in 12 hours ending at 6 p.m. on Sunday, throwing normal life out of gear. Authorities blocked underpasses for traffic as a precautionary measure.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Panchmahal, Dahod, Kheda, Aravalli, Mahisagar, Banaskantha and Sabarkantha districts, predicting isolated “extremely heavy rainfall” till Tuesday morning.
It has also warned of isolated heavy to very-heavy rainfall in Gujarat in its forecast till Thursday morning.
