1 dead, 1,600 evacuated, 500 roads shut as heavy rain throws life out of gear in Surat, Valsad and Navsari

The Kevdi dam in Mandvi, Surat district, was on high alert due to heavy inflow. Of the total evacuations to shelter homes, 300 were from Surat, 1,026 from Navsari and 300 from Valsad. Over 300 District Panchayat (DP) and Taluka Panchayat (TP) roads in Valsad, around 180 roads in Navsari and 51 roads in Surat have been closed due to waterlogging.

Valsad

The Ambheti gram panchayat of Nana Pondha taluka, Valsad district, closed the Koparli-Vapi road after a private bus from Nashik with 16 passengers got stuck in the flood waters. “The bus was carrying 16 passengers, comprising six women, seven men and three children. All the passengers were safely rescued on Wednesday morning,” an official release stated.

Billimora in Navsari district. (Express Photo)

The NDRF rescued three workers stuck inside a flooded sewage treatment plant in the Pali Hill area of Valsad town.

Valsad District Collector Nitin Sangwan said, “The Damanganga, Par and Auranga rivers are flowing near the danger level and we have alerted the people staying on the banks to be ready for evacuation, if water level rises further. A man, who had gone fishing in the district, died of drowning. Over 300 district panchayat and taluk panchayat roads have been closed.”

Navsari

In the town of Bilimora in Navsari, low-lying areas were submerged after just five inches of rainfall on Wednesday. The Ambika river was overflowing along both banks, with flood water reaching the city areas. Many houses in the shipyard area of Bilimora have been flooded. Apart from this, several areas in Navsari town and in different talukas were submerged by Wednesday afternoon.

From 6 am to 4 pm on Wednesday, Vansda recorded the highest rainfall at 172 mm while Navsari town received 96 mm. Ambika, Purna and Kaveri rivers are also in spate.

Navsari District Collector Manish Gurwani said, “Starting from morning till late afternoon, we shifted over 1,026 people, mainly in Gandevi and Chikhli talukas. These people have been shifted to designated shelter homes like Anganwadi’s, government primary schools and other places. We are monitoring the water level in all three rivers, which are flowing near the danger level. The Kaveri river mainly affects Chikhli, while the Purna river affects Navsari town, and the Ambika river affects the Gandevi taluka. No casualties were reported so far. Over 180 DP and TP roads have been closed due to waterlogging and police bandobast has been arranged on both ends to prevent people from using such roads.”

Surat

As per the data received from the flood control department, the Surat city recorded 75 mm rainfall from 8 pm on Tuesday to 4 pm on Wednesday.

Talukas in the district also recorded heavy rainfall during the period, with Ambica recording 140 mm, Mahuva 143, Bardoli 166 mm, Palsana 190 mm, Kamrej 72 mm, Umarpada 82 mm, Mandvi 41 mm and Choryasi 40 mm.  Bhedwad and Mithi creeks in Surat city were flowing just about one metre below danger levels. Nearly 51 roads in different talukas had been closed by the district authorities and people have been advised to take alternate roads to reach their destinations.

Bhedwad and Mithi creeks had overflowed into the city following heavy rain earlier this month, leading to the death of at least 30 people.

Surat Municipal Commissioner M Nagarajan, Mayor Mayaben Mavani, and Standing Committee Chairman Rajan Patel reviewed the flood situation. Nagarajan said in a video message that people were being shifted from the Bhedwad creek area. “Citizens are being alerted through continuous appeals made through the public announcement system. In view of continuing rainfall, monitoring is being done on the BRTS and city bus routes. As many as five routes of the city bus service have been closed and other routes are being monitored,” he said.

The commissioner appealed to all the citizens to stay indoors or in safe places unless absolutely necessary and take special care of children.

Nagarajan said, “Over 300 people from low-lying areas in Udhna and Limbayat have been shifted to safer places as a precautionary measure after water level in Bhedwad creek increased.” He added that draining of flood waters was going on and two teams each of NDRF and SDRF were on stand-by.

Residents in the villages of Kewdi, Jetpur, Kanaghat, Gangpur and Pipalwada on the banks of Moran river in Mandvi taluka have been alerted with the level in the dams rising. The water level in Kewdi dam was reported to be three feet below the danger level.

People residing around the  Kewdi Small Irrigation Project have been appealed to stay away from the river or creek banks, says Surat District Panchayat Irrigation Department’s executive Engineer, D R Patel.