SURAT, July 7: South Gujarat had its first brush with monsoon this season as heavy rains lashed almost all parts of the region, throwing normal life out of gear even as the meteorological department forecast yet another round of heavy rains by Wednesday morning.Though no loss of life was reported, authorities geared up for possible shifting people living in low-lying areas and along the river banks to safer places.Bharuch, Narmada, Surat, Navsari, Valsad and Dangs districts received heavy fall in the past 24 hours, as reports of losses to property were trickling in.Surat city reeled under the onslaught for the first time as heavens opened up last night. Rains continued to batter the city throughout the day, flooding low-lying Begampura, Navsari Bazar, Salabatpura, Kubernagar, Rudhnathpura, Balaji Road, Athwalines, Adajan, Piplod, Machhiwad, Kadarshani Nal, Pandesara and Limbayat. In the past 36 hours the city registered nearly 91.8 mm from 5.30 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. on Tuesday alone.As many as 150 families were shifted from the low-lying Rasulabad in the afternoon. Last monsoon also, many families had to be shifted from here on the arrival of first rains. Traffic was disrupted as two roads caved in Badrinagar and Vishalnagar in West Zone.The weir-cum-causeway in Singanpore was closed for vehicles and people at 5.45 p.m. as a precautionary measure as the water level rose. The fire brigade was pressed hard as incidents of short-circuits kept them busy for most part of the day in Rani Talav, Kapodra Char Rasta, Chauta Bazaar Balaji Road, Jain Derasar in Katargam, Kubernagar, Viratnagar, Balaji Road, Jamnik Gali in Nanpura and Galemandi Road.Trees collapsed in Athwalines, Jamunanagar, Katargam, Bhatar Road, Adajan Patia, Majura Gate and Rudhnathpura Malad Sheri. Live wires fell near Rander Bus Stop and Kapodara Char Rasta. Nobody was reportedly injured in rain-related mishaps.The rain caught Surat Municipal Corporation unawares as information about the areas reeling under the fury was hard to come by. The civic body has decided to work more cohesively from Wednesday onwards as the head office failed to collect details from the ward offices. Municipal commissioner S Jagadeesan said the civic body had geared up for the monsoon.There was no let up in the rain which started last night as the sky remained overcast throughout and was continuing at the time of going to the Press. Following a technical fault in the Market Exchange, thousands of telephones in Rander, Adajan and Nanpura areas were rendered inoperative last night for nearly two hours.
