Gujarat: Heavy rains batter parts of Saurashtra, cause flood-like situation

Ahmedabad, Jul 19 (PTI) Torrential downpours hit parts of Gujarat’s Saurashtra regions on Wednesday, causing flooding in low-lying areas and cutting off several villages, prompting authorities to move people to safer areas in many places.

Life came to a standstill in Junagadh’s Mangrol taluka where several people were stranded after water entered houses in many villages and flooded approach roads making the areas inaccessible, officials said.

Junagadh was the worst affected district due to heavy rains on Wednesday, with Mangrol taluka receiving 290 mm of rains rainfall in eight hours since 6 am, followed by 191 mm recorded in Malia Hatina taluka, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said.

Junagadh’s Keshod and Manavadar recorded 111 and 110 mm of rainfall, respectively, during this period, it said.

Overflowing of dams and monsoon rivers like Ojas due to the release of water worsened the situation, forcing water into houses in villages, where fields turned into lakes.

Sudden flooding in many areas forced people to rush to the rooftops of their houses.

Normal life was thrown out of gear in Junagadh city and Keshod town in the district. Several roads were inundated and vehicles submerged in low-lying areas.

Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local police worked to rescue people in the affected parts of the district and shift them to safer areas.

An NDRF team rescued over 100 people from flooded villages in Veraval taluka of Gir Somnath, which was among the worst-affected districts due to Wednesday’s rainfall, officials said.

Approach roads to at least 14 villages in Junagadh district were flooded, the district administration said.

Amid a flood-like situation, state transport bus services were stopped in the Saurashtra region.

Many villages in Sutrapada taluka of Gir Somnath district turned into islands and water entered several houses, damaging grains and other household objects. Monsoon rivers like Saraswati and Hiran were flowing in spate, causing flooding in low-lying areas, said officials.

Surtarapada, Veraval and Talaja talukas of the district recieved 541, 481 and 299 mm of rainfall, respectively in 24 hours till 6 am on Wednesday, as per the SEOC.

Heavy rains also affected Valsad and Surat districts of south Gujarat. Several residential societies in Vapi town in Valsad district were flooded.