THE Ahmedabad rural police closed a stretch of the national highway (NH 47) to Rajkot between Ahmedabad and Bagodra on Friday afternoon due to flooding and the Ahmedabad- Viramgam state highway by late evening following excessive flooding. This 60-km state highway connects to the automobile hub of Sanand.
In a warning issued late Friday, the district police said, “no vehicle was safe to ply from Sanand to Viramgam and back”.
Diversion for heavy flooding on the Ahmedabad – Rajkot highway. (Special arrangement photo)
Ahmedabad Rural SP Om Prakash Jat said that vehicles coming from Rajkot side can take right turn at Bagodara, head to Vejalaka interchange near Kesargadh village and then turn left to reach Ahmedabad through various villages. The 66 km closure upto Bagodara will mean those heading from Ahmedabad towards Rajkot can take the same route and get back on the highway from Bagodara.
The Army, Gujarat police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) have rescued several people affected by the flood.
At least 900 people stranded in Gallops Industrial Park in Bavla were rescued by teams of SDRF and Ahmedabad rural police after the industrial area was submerged.
Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) and Indian Army rescue efforts in Ambli-Bopal suburbs of Ahmedabad. (Express Photo)
In another incident, three persons, including a woman senior citizen, who had been stranded in a waterlogged area for nearly 11 hours due to incessant rainfall in Dholka, a town on Ahmedabad’s outskirts, were rescued in a coordinated late-night operation by the district administration and police on Thursday. Several people were rescued by police on tractors as no other vehicles could ply due to waterlogging.
“Several people remained trapped since around 3 pm on Thursday amid rising floodwaters. Upon receiving information, the rescue operation was immediately planned and executed despite adverse weather conditions and the challenges posed by darkness and heavy flooding. At around 2:00 am on Friday, the joint rescue team successfully reached the stranded persons by boat and evacuated all three safely,” Ahmedabad Rural SP Om Prakash Jat said.
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Ahmedabad Rural Police rescue efforts in Dholka, Ahmedabad. (Express Photo)
Several people stranded in the flooded Ambli-Bopal area, near Ahmedabad city, were rescued by AFES and Army on Thursday and Friday by boats. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited the area Friday.
A statement by the Indian Army on July 24 said, “Responding swiftly to the evolving flood situation in Gujarat, the Indian Army, under the aegis of Southern Command, has mobilised Relief and Rescue Columns, including Engineer and Medical teams, to assist the civil administration in ongoing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.”
Brendan Dabhi works with The Indian Express, focusing his comprehensive reporting primarily on Gujarat. He covers the region's most critical social, legal, and administrative sectors, notably specializing at the intersection of health, social justice, and disasters.
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Diversion for heavy flooding on the Ahmedabad – Rajkot highway. (Special arrangement photo)
Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) and Indian Army rescue efforts in Ambli-Bopal suburbs of Ahmedabad. (Express Photo)
Ahmedabad Rural Police rescue efforts in Dholka, Ahmedabad. (Express Photo)