The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for heavy rainfall in 11 districts of Gujarat and a yellow alert for 22 districts on Thursday.
At least 28 people have lost their lives in the past three days as relentless heavy rains continue to batter Gujarat. Nearly 18,000 residents have been evacuated from flood-affected areas, with the weather department issuing a warning for extremely heavy rainfall in 11 districts today.
According to details from the Gujarat government, fatalities include one person each in the districts of Morbi, Vadodara, Bharuch, Jamnagar, Aravalli, Panchmahal, Dwarka, and Dang. Additionally, six people died in Anand, four in Ahmedabad, and two each in Gandhinagar, Kheda, Mahisagar, Dahod, and Surendranagar districts.
Among the deceased are seven individuals who went missing after their tractor-trolley was swept away while attempting to cross an overflowing causeway near Dhavana village in Morbi district, according to a report by the news agency PTI.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for heavy rainfall in 11 districts across Gujarat and a yellow alert for 22 districts on Thursday, attributing the ongoing heavy rain to a deep depression in the region.
Rain Alerts Across Gujarat
The red alert covers the Kachchh and Saurashtra regions, including the districts of Kachchh, Dwarka, Jamnagar, Morbi, Surendranagar, Junagadh, Rajkot, Botad, Gir Somnath, Amreli, and Bhavnagar. A yellow alert has also been issued for North, Central, and South Gujarat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached out to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to assess the situation, offering the Centre’s support to the state.
Though the rain has ceased in Vadodara, several low-lying areas have reported flooding after the Vishwamitri river overflowed its banks and entered residential areas.
Rescue operations are in full gear, with more than 6,000 people being relocated to safer areas as water levels in rivers and dams continue to rise across the state.
Gujarat Seeks Army Assistance
The Gujarat government has requested six Indian Army columns for relief operations, with one column each in the districts of Dwarka, Anand, Vadodara, Kheda, Morbi, and Rajkot. Additionally, 14 platoons from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 22 platoons from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have already been deployed to bolster disaster management efforts.
Footage from across the state reveals extensive waterlogging and flooding, as rescue teams work to evacuate people from the affected areas.
Meanwhile, the road leading to the Statue of Unity in Vadodara has been damaged due to the heavy rain.
IMD Forecasts and Warnings
The IMD forecasts that the depression is expected to move out of the Kachchh and Saurashtra regions towards the Arabian Sea by August 30. However, there is a chance it may temporarily and slightly intensify over the northeast Arabian Sea on the same day.
Additionally, the IMD has warned that these regions might experience localized flooding on roads, waterlogging in low-lying areas, and the potential closure of underpasses, particularly in urban areas.
