Heavy rains pound Navsari and Valsad districts in Gujarat, rivers in spate; 1,000 people evacuated

Heavy rains battered Navsari and Valsad districts in south Gujarat, sending rivers in spate and prompting the evacuation of more than 1,000 people from water-logged low-lying areas on Monday. Khergam taluka in Navsari district received 229 mm of rainfall in 24 hours up to 6 AM on Monday while 12 talukas in Dangs and Tapi districts in South Gujarat received more than 100 mm of rainfall during this period, State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) data showed.

Aurang River in Valsad taluka crossed the danger mark amid incessant rainfall in the upstream areas. Flood waters of the Kaveri and Ambika rivers in neighbouring Navsari district inundated low-lying areas.

Approximately 1,000 people were shifted to safety in Gandevi taluka in Navsari district after heavy rainfall triggered a flood in Ambika and Kaveri rivers on Sunday.

Seven labourers stranded in a flooded pond were rescued by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel on Sunday, Valsad district administration stated.

"Around 162 people were relocated and shifted to shelter homes from low-lying areas in Valsad city. A man was swept away in flood water in Dharampur taluka of the district," said incharge collector AR Jha.

Gandevi MLA Naresh Patel said at least 1,000 people were relocated to safety in the area in Navsari district.

"An elderly man was swept away in the flood and effort is underway to recover his body," Patel said.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel spoke with collectors of Navsari and Valsad districts, directing them to shift residents of low-lying areas to safer places and prevent loss of life and property due to rain.

Khergam taluka in Navsari district was pounded by 229 mm rainfall in 24 hours ending 6 AM on Monday, followed by 185 mm and 180 mm rainfall in Dharampur and Valsad talukas, respectively. At least 12 talukas, including the Dangs and Tapi districts in south Gujarat, received more than 100 mm of rainfall, according to SEOC.

With the recent wet spell, Gujarat has recorded more than 67 per cent of the total average rainfall of the monsoon season so far. Kutch zone received the highest rainfall of 86 per cent in the state, followed by the south Gujarat region, and Saurashtra zone with 81 per cent and 77 per cent of rainfall, respectively.

Comparatively, north and east-central Gujarat recorded around 50 per cent of the cumulative average rainfall of the season so far, the SEOC stated.

With upstream areas receiving heavy rains, the water storage in the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Narmada district crossed 60 per cent of its storage capacity at 2,04,901 million cubic feet (mcft).

The water storage in another 206 reservoirs across Gujarat reached 3,25,972 mcft at 58.19 per cent of their total storage capacity, while 47 reservoirs are brimming. Ten other reservoirs are 90 to 100 per cent full, raising a high alert, the state Water Resources Department said.

A total of 13 reservoirs in south Gujarat region are 70.32 per cent full. The water storage in 141 reservoirs in Saurashtra region increased to 52.68 per cent. In Kutch, 20 reservoirs are 52.15 per cent full.