Red Alert In Gujarat's Junagadh After Heavy Rain; Yamuna Crosses Danger Mark Again

As Relentless rain unleashed bedlam across Gujarat, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy rainfall in Junagadh and Saurashtra-Kutch districts till Sunday.

A red alert has been issued for Junagadh, Jamnagar, Devbhumi Dwarka, Kutch, Surat, Valsad, Navsari and Surat.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall will continue in many other districts of south Gujarat and Saurashtra-Kutch during the next three days, the IMD said. The Met department also warned fishermen to not venture along and off the north Gujarat coast from July 22 to July 26 saying squally weather conditions were very likely to prevail during this period.

In Junagadh, dozens of parked cars and cattle were swept away in gushirg waters after it received 241 mm of rainfall in just 12 hours till 8 pm on Saturday. People were seen wading through waist-deep water to shift to safer places. Some of them were rescued by volunteers as they were carried away in strong currents.

The Gujarat government said low-lying areas were flooded due to rains in Junagadh district.

Authorities requested people to take precautions and urged them to contact the control room in case of any untoward incident or emergency situation. Directions have been issued for people against visiting dams and surrounding areas.

Rescue teams were pressed into service to shift people living in low-lying areas to safer places. As many as nine teams of NDRF were deployed, two in Junagadh and one each in neighbouring districts, officials said.

In south Gujarat, heavy rains pummelled Navsari district where normal life was thrown out of gear in urban and rural areas due to flooding.

Meanwhile, Yamuna is flowing above the danger level mark. At 8 AM on Sunday, the water level at Old Yamuna Bridge has been recorded as 205.9mtrs. As per the CWC forecast, the level will cross the 206.7 mark by 4 pm of the day.