Two persons were reported missing after being swept away in flooded rivers as torrential rain lashed coastal Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Gir Somnath and Amreli districts over the weekend, taking the number of districts in Saurasthra region to nine which have received 100 per cent or more rainfall this season. According to control rooms in Gir Somnath and Jamnagar, one person each was missing in their districts. While Dinesh Parmar was reportedly swept away in Malan river near Gangda village of Una taluka of Gir Somnath district, Deep Kachhadiya (16) was swept away in a swollen river in Jasapar village of Kalavad taluka of Jamnagar district while they were having a swim. Kachhadiya’s two friends were rescued, said officials of the flood control room in Jamnagar. The highest rainfall, 204 millimetres (mm) or eight inch, was recorded in Kalyanpur taluka of Devbhoomi Dwarka district late on Saturday night. Flood control room of the district said the taluka recorded 149 mm or five inch rainfall in just four hours beginning 8 pm on Saturday. In fact, 116 of it had been registered in just two hours - between 8 pm and 10 pm. The taluka received 55 mm rainfall earlier in the day as well as past the midnight, thus making it 204 mm, the highest in the entire state, in the 24 hours ending at 6 am Sunday. The neighbouring Khambhaliya taluka also received 140 mm rain, 95 mm of it in just two hours between 8 pm and 10 pm Saturday. Bhanvad taluka of the same district recorded 122 mm rainfall where 102 mm was received in just two hours - from 6 pm to 8 pm. Dwarka taluka also recorded 78 mm rain in the 24-hour period. Meanwhile, the spell of heavy rain in Junagadh district extended to Saturday as Maliya taluka of that district registered 124 mm rain in 24 hours ending at 6 am Sunday. The taluka experienced 26 mm more rain during the day on Sunday, taking the total to 150 mm in 36 hours ending at 6 pm Sunday. Keshod taluka of that district also recorded 159 mm rain during the same 36-hour period. The taluka logged 81 mm rain on Saturday and 78 mm more between 6 am and 6 pm on Sunday. In the adjoining Gir Somnath district, Kodinar taluka recorded 110 mm precipitation in 24 hours ending at 6 am Sunday. Of that, 60 mm was recorded between 6 pm and 8 pm Saturday. In Jamnagar, Jodiya taluka clocked 109 mm rain during the same 24-hour period. The latest spell took the total rainfall to 943 mm this monsoon, or 168.49 per cent of its long-term average. The 943 mm rainfall is the second highest in terms of average after 179 per cent recorded in Rajkot taluka. The very heavy rain continued on Sunday morning also as Khambha taluka in Amreli district was pounded by 148 mm rainfall between 8 am and 12 pm. The neighbouring Mahuva taluka in Bhavnagar district recorded 83 mm rainfall six hours beginning at 2 am on Sunday. In all, 20 out of 18 talukas in Saurashtra region received two inch or more rainfall in the 36-hour period. With the torrential overnight rain, Devbhoomi Dwarka district covered around 23 per cent deficit of rainfall in just one day and logged around 100 per cent rain of the average of last year. The district has now received average 617 mm rainfall, which is 99.39 per cent of its average. With this, Devbhoomi Dwarka became the eighth district in Saurashtra to record 100 per cent or more rainfall this monsoon. Jamnagar is at the top of the table this year with 133.46 per cent rainfall. It is followed by Botad (102.49%), Morbi (130.51%), Surendranagar (116.29%), Rajkot (106.31 %), Bhavnagar (102.49 %) and Junagadh (101.87%). Now only Porbandar (85.77 %), Gir Somnath (89.04) and Amreli (94.23 mm) districts have rain deficit. Saurasthra region as a whole, which has been experiencing good rainfall for the last 10 days, has received average 105.49 per cent rainfall so far this year. Kutch region, too, has received 125.86 per cent rainfall this year after a drought the previous year.
