RP Digital

Subscribe

RP Digital

Waterlogging Back To Haunt Gujarat, Surat Streets Flooded By Heavy Rain; Schools Shut

7 mins0


A flood-like situation continues to grip Surat and nearby areas in Gujarat as torrential rainfall battered the city for a second consecutive day, severely affecting daily life. Low-lying regions have been submerged, prompting emergency evacuations and school closures across the city.

Waterlogged Streets

Today, over 8 inches of rainfall was recorded in Surat, leading to significant waterlogging in key areas. Roads near Ashapuri Temple in Bardoli and residential zones such as Deepnagar were inundated, with floodwaters entering homes and shops, leaving residents stranded. According to officials, the Fire Department evacuated over 100 people, including children, from affected schools and societies.

SDM Bardoli Jigna Parmar stated, “Due to over 100 mm of rainfall, two state roads are waterlogged… 4-5 societies in low-lying area are waterlogged, but no loss has been reported till now… I appeal to people to cooperate with the authorities during rescue… Water level will likely decrease as the rain stops gradually.”

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange Alert for parts of South and Central Gujarat, with forecasts indicating continued heavy rain through tomorrow. A Yellow Alert remains in place for June 24.

Yesterday’s Developments:

Surat was similarly battered on Monday, with heavy rainfall causing widespread waterlogging, vehicle submersion, and disruptions to traffic. Some ground floor apartments were flooded, forcing residents to wade through waist-deep water. Comparisons were drawn on social media to the devastating 2006 Surat floods.

Schools declared a holiday as a precautionary measure, and Dabholi and Varachha were among the worst-hit localities. In Valsad district, a van was reportedly swept away by the overflowing Kharela River.

Data from the State Emergency Operations Centre showed that 159 talukas received rainfall ranging from light to heavy in the last 24 hours. The highest rainfall was recorded in Jodiya (7.17 inches), followed by Mendarda (5.7 inches), Amirgadh (5.0 inches), Palsana (5.6 inches), Keshod (4.9 inches), and Kalavad (4.6 inches).

The IMD issued a Yellow Alert for districts including Amreli, Bhavnagar, Navsari, Valsad, Botad, Aravalli, Mahisagar, Dahod, Vadodara, Anand, Bharuch, and Panchmahal. Meanwhile, districts such as Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Tapi, Surat, Dang, Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Surendranagar, Kheda, Rajkot, Gir Somnath, Junagadh, Chhota Udepur, and Narmada were warned of thunderstorms with heavy to very heavy rainfall.

Disaster response units, including NDRF and SDRF teams, have been deployed to vulnerable areas under orange and red alerts. On June 22, extremely heavy rainfall (>20 cm in 24 hours) was recorded at isolated locations across Gujarat and East Madhya Pradesh, according to IMD data.

A wall at Orchid Elite Residency in Surat’s Pal area collapsed amid heavy rainfall. Residents alleged that poorly executed nearby construction work may have weakened the structure. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Recurring Monsoon Impact:

This latest spell of flooding echoes the devastation Gujarat faced in August 2024, when heavy rainfall during the last week of the month led to severe flooding and tragic loss of lives. Over 49 people lost their lives due to lightning strikes, wall collapses, and drowning.



A large-scale rescue operation was launched, involving the NDRF, Army, and other agencies, resulting in the evacuation of over 37,000 people. 





Source link

rpdigital

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles