Heavy rains lash several districts as Gujarat crosses 100% of average rainfall for the season

On Sunday, with 102.89%, Gujarat also crossed 100% of average rainfall in the current season.

Among regions, 107.34% average rainfall was noted in East Central Gujarat region, 107.99% in South region, 106.50% in the North region followed by 91.29% in the Saurashtra region.

Highest rainfall was recorded in Suigam, Vav, Bhabhar and Tharad talukas of Banaskantha district with 303 mm, 127 mm, 117 mm and 100 mm rainfall, respectively.

Tapi and Vyara in Valsad received 112 mm and 100 mm rainfall, respectively.

Patan’s Santalpur and Radhanpur recorded 89 mm and 68 mm, respectively, while Dehgam in Gandhinagar saw 87 mm rainfall till Sunday 6 pm.

In the last 24 hours, till Sunday 5 pm, as per State Emergency Operation Center (SEOC), Gandhinagar, 243 talukas across 33 districts received an average of 35.57 mm rainfall. 10.51 inch rainfall has been reported in Valsad’s Kaprada taluka, 6 inch in Sabarkantha’s Poshina, 5.43 inch in Valsad’s Dharampur, more than 4 inch in Patan’s Radhanpur, and 4.49 inch in Valsad’s Umargam taluka.

While 91.26% water storage has been recorded in Sardar Sarovar Dam, 123 dams out of 206 reservoirs are on high alert.

According to details received by the SEOC, at 3,09,048 MCFT (Million Cubic Feet), 91.26% of water has been stored in the Sardar Sarovar Dam. Out of the 206 reservoirs of the state, 123 dams are on high alert, while 20 are on alert and 14 are on warning. Currently, 46,7920 MCFT of water is stored in the 203 reservoirs of the state. This is 83.87% of the total storage capacity.

A total of 470 complaints were received by the control department, including 270 of waterlogging, 81 of felling of trees, 49 general complaints, 32 of dangerous buildings, and 19 of cave-ins (Express Photo)

Since June 1, as many as 7,177 people have been shifted to safe places in the state while 1,054 people have been rescued and saved. Currently, 12 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 22 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been deployed in various districts in the state.

Over 500 roads, mainly panchayat roads in rural areas, were closed due to heavy downpour. At 203, maximum number of such roads were in Valsad, followed by 41 in Surat, 30 in Dahod, and 23 in Porbandar districts.

‘Vigorous’ monsoon; orange alert for Monday

Due to depression over Southwest Rajasthan and neighbourhood, trough that runs from cyclonic circulation associated with depression over North Gujarat and adjoining Southwest Rajasthan to Chhattisgarh across Madhya Pradesh along with the monsoon trough that passes through centre of depression over North Gujarat and adjoining Southwest Rajasthan, Sheopur, Guna, Damoh, Mana, Gopalpur and thence east-southeastwards to east central Bay of Bengal, the monsoon has been vigorous over Gujarat.

The weather department has issued an orange alert for Monday, warning of heavy to very heavy rains in the districts of Banaskantha, Patan, Mehsana and Kutch. Also, heavy rains are expected in the districts of Sabarkantha, Gandhinagar, Aravalli, Ahmedabad, Navsari, Valsad, Surendranagar, Jamnagar, Morbi and Dwarka.

Security deployed at riverfront in Ahmedabad

With Ahmedabad, along with other northern districts receiving heavy rainfall on Saturday and Sunday, water level at Vasna barrage reached 131 feet as on Sunday 5 pm. As a result, 27 gates were opened, discharging 93,658 cusecs of water into Sabarmati River.

Following the release of water into Sabarmati River since Saturday, the lower promenade of Sabarmati Riverfront was closed since Saturday. On Sunday, 95,000 cusecs of water was released from Dharoi and 1,47, 000 cusecs of water was released from Lakroda Weir and 1,20,000 cusecs of water from Sant Sarovar.

Prompting precautionary measures in low-lying regions, including areas of Ahmedabad, security was deployed on both sides of the Sabarmati Riverfront. Continuous patrolling is also being done by the police. As many as 25 families were shifted from Parikshit Nagar to safer locations. As water continues to flow in the river, the citizens were asked not to go near it and to be careful.

As the water flow in the Sabarmati River continued to increase, the Sabarmati Riverfront East Police carried out intensive patrolling and warned people, through handheld speakers, to remain alert and not to risk their lives by taking selfies or carrying out any other form of photography from the wall or any other place.

In Bopal, the compound wall of a private hospital collapsed with construction work in the adjacent plot underway. No casualty was reported.

Three incidents of house collapse were reported in walled city areas on Sunday. These included a house collapse each in Dariyapur, Mandvi’s Pol and near Behrampura Gautam Nagar intersection. Three persons were rescued and evacuated by the fire department and two injured were shifted to the hospital.

Till 4 pm, Ahmedabad city recorded an average of 102.17 mm or 4.02 inch rainfall. The north zone recorded the highest of 114.70 mm rainfall followed by west zone at 108 mm, north west zone 104.36 mm, central zone 100 mm, south west and south zone with 99 mm each.

A total of 470 complaints were received by the control department, including 270 of waterlogging, 81 of felling of trees, 49 general complaints, 32 of dangerous buildings, and 19 of cave-ins.