Gujarat: Heavy Rains Bring Life To Standstill, 7 Washed Away; IMD Issues Alert | Key Updates

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for Gujarat, forecasting heavy to extremely heavy rain over the next 2-3 days.

Recent heavy rainfall has caused significant flooding in parts of the state, displacing hundreds of residents. Navsari, in particular, has experienced severe flooding, leading the IMD to issue a "red alert" for the district on August 26.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has instructed officials to evacuate residents from low-lying areas to safer locations.

The districts most affected by the heavy rainfall include Valsad, Tapi, Navsari, Surat, Narmada, and Panchmahal in South Gujarat.

Key details of the situation include:

A search operation by the NDRF is underway in Morbi district to find seven individuals swept away with their tractor-trolley while crossing a flooded causeway.

Khergam taluka in Navsari district recorded the highest rainfall in the past 24 hours with 356 mm, ending at 6 AM on Monday, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).

Other districts that received over 100 mm of rainfall include Narmada, Saurashtra, Rajkot, Tapi, Mahisagar, Morbi, Dahod, and Vadodara.

The Gujarat chief secretary has advised vigilance in areas expected to see large crowds due to upcoming festivals during the Shravan month.

South Gujarat districts have received more than 105 percent of their average annual rainfall so far, the highest in the state.

Eight districts in South Gujarat and Saurashtra have recorded over 100 percent of their average annual rainfall.

The water level at the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Dam has risen to 135.30 meters due to rainfall in catchment areas.

Gujarat's 206 reservoirs are holding 3.64 lakh million cubic feet of water, which is 65 percent of their total capacity.

Due to the increase in water levels, 72 reservoirs are on high alert and 15 are on regular alert.

Local authorities have been instructed to promptly restore roads closed due to flooding and to minimize disruptions to electricity supply.