On Sunday morning, Gujarat woke up to the steady rhythm of the falling rain. As the day wore on and the downpour continued, there were worried faces everywhere, memories of that dark Thursday three years ago fresh in everyone’s mind.It was on July 13, 2000 that it rained like it never did and Ahmedabad was flooded in no time, causing damages to the tune of several crores.The economic losses for Sunday’s downpour are yet to be calculated, but the Police Control Room confirmed 16 deaths — five in Ahmedabad, two each in Nadiad, Sabarkantha and Dahod, and one each in Khambhat, Dehgam in Gandhinagar district, Viramgam, Waghodia and Savli.According to Met Department, maximum rainfall was recorded at Kadi in Mehsana in the last 36 hours. While Kadi recorded 350 mm rain since Saturday, Ahmedabad recorded 344 mm. Ahmedabad recorded 144 mm rain in 10 hours since 8:30 am on Sunday, the highest so far in this season. Met Department has predicted more rains in Kutch and Jamnagar in next 24 hours.Revenue Secretary Vilasini Ramchandran said following a fissure in the Kharicut canal, nearby low-lying areas and Jasodanagar Chowkdi were flooded on Sunday morning.In Vadodara, the administration was put on high alert following leakages in at least three places in the Ajwa reservoir. Till reports last came in, the level of Ajwa was 212 feet, two feet below danger level. Over 200 families were evacuated from Vadodara and Savli taluka after 18 lakes overflowed. Rescue teams have been rushed to the affected areas and experts have been called to plug the Ajwa leaks.Indian Meteorological Department Director R.K. Kankane said Sunday’s rain would have an overall beneficial impact. ‘‘The annual rainfall recorded in 2003 can be considered more uniform and timely distributed when compared to the rainfall received in the last five years.’’In Ahmedabad, though several areas in the Walled City and AUDA were under almost two feet water till Sunday afternoon, the situation was worse in the low-lying areas.
