Heavy Rainfall Hits Gujarat, Thousands Evacuated Amid Alerts

Severe Weather Conditions in Gujarat

On Friday, several districts in central and southern Gujarat experienced intense rainfall, leading to the evacuation of over 1,500 individuals in Surat, the most affected area, as reported by officials. Following the latest forecast from the India Meteorological Department, a 'Red Alert' was issued for 13 districts due to excessive rainfall, while seven districts received an 'Orange Alert' for heavy rain.

Gaurav Makwana, the state's relief commissioner, stated, "Significant rainfall has been recorded in districts including Narmada, Anand, Kheda, Chhota Udepur, Vadodara, and Surat, and we are continuously monitoring the situation." According to data from the State Emergency Operations Center, from 6 AM to 2 PM on Friday, several talukas in Surat, Kheda, Anand, Bharuch, and Narmada received more than 150 millimeters (mm) of rain. Surat was the hardest hit, with Umarpada taluka recording 247 mm of rainfall during this period.

Commissioner M. Nagarajan of Surat noted, "Amid the Red Alert on Friday, approximately 1,500 residents from low-lying areas have been relocated to safer locations." Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the Indian Army have been put on standby for rescue operations.

In Kheda district, Nadiad saw 191 mm of rain within eight hours by 2 PM on Friday, causing flooding in many low-lying urban and rural areas. The Vaso region of the district recorded 177 mm of rainfall, with residents seen wading through knee-deep water.

Anand district's Borsad experienced 170 mm of rain from 6 AM to 2 PM, while Khambhat recorded 165 mm. Bharuch district's Netrang saw 155 mm of rainfall in the same eight-hour span, and Petlad in Anand and Sagbara in Narmada each received 152 mm.

During this time, Dolvan in Tapi district recorded 149 mm of rain. Other notable rainfall amounts included 146 mm in Ambika, 144 mm in Garudeshwar, 138 mm in Areth, and 137 mm in Subir, all within Surat. Rainfall also occurred in several areas of Ahmedabad from Friday afternoon amid the Red Alert.

Commissioner Makwana confirmed that 17 NDRF teams and 33 SDRF teams have been deployed in the rain-affected regions of Gujarat.