Seven people died when heavy rain led to flooding in many areas in Gujarat on Monday. Footage showed tidal waves, overflowing dams and flooded streets from torrential rains.
The weather department has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy rainfall in several districts for today and the next five days.
Gujarat | Heavy rainfall results in severe flooding and flood-like situation in Ahmedabad (11.07) pic.twitter.com/hzENXGv0Zl
— ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2022
#Watch † Doswada Dam of Songadh Taluka of Tapi district, Gujarat floods after heavy rainfall in the region | reported by news agency ANI pic.twitter.com/yHKxI9DBTX
— DailyExpertNews (@ndtv) July 12, 2022
“Seven people have been killed in rain-related incidents in the past 24 hours, bringing the number of deaths from rain-related incidents such as lightning, drowning, wall collapses etc. in Gujarat to 63 since June 1, said State Disaster Management Minister Rajendra Trivedi .
9,000 people were displaced and 468 rescued, he said.
The city of Ahmedabad received 219mm of rain on Sunday evening, causing flooding in many residential areas and flooding in underpasses and roads. Schools and universities in the city remained closed on Monday.
In southern Gujarat, Dang, Navsari, Tapi and Valsad districts were affected, while the rain-affected districts in central Gujarat are Panchmahal, Chhota Udepur and Kheda.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Interior Minister Amit Shah have assured Gujarat of all possible assistance from the Center.
Eighteen platoons from each of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed to strategic locations for rescue and relief operations as and when needed, Mr Shah said.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) rescued 16 people stranded along the flooded banks of the Ambika River in Valsad district, it said in a press release.
PM Modi called Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to inquire about the situation and ensured all possible assistance.
The movement of four passenger trains and an express train was affected after tracks between Chandod and Ekta Nagar were washed away, a Western Railway official said.
The meteorological department said Gujarat’s situation is due to flash flooding. The state got 18 inches of rain in just four hours on Monday. People are now struggling to buy even essential items.