6 dead as heavy showers continue in Gujarat

Ahmedabad: Heavy downpour continued in various parts of Gujarat on Tuesday and six people died in rain-related incidents in the last 24 hours, raising the toll to 69 since June 1, officials said. A total of 27,896 people were evacuated from flood-affected areas and 18,225 of them remained in shelters while the others have returned […]

Ahmedabad: Heavy downpour continued in various parts of Gujarat on Tuesday and six people died in rain-related incidents in the last 24 hours, raising the toll to 69 since June 1, officials said.

A total of 27,896 people were evacuated from flood-affected areas and 18,225 of them remained in shelters while the others have returned home, state Disaster Management Minister Rajendra Trivedi said.

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Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited the rain-hit Bodeli town in Chhota Udepur district and also conducted an aerial inspection of some flood-affected areas, his office said.

While heavy rains continue to lash districts in south Gujarat since the last few days, parts of Kutch and Rajkot in the Saurashtra region also witnessed heavy showers since Monday night, officials said.

According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), Anjar taluka in Kutch received 167 mm rainfall in six hours since 6 am on Tuesday, while Gandhidham taluka in the district got 145 mm rainfall.
Narmada, Surat, Dang, Valsad and Tapi districts of south Gujarat, and Panchmahal and Chhota Udepur in central part of the state witnessed heavy rains over the last one day.

The India Meteorological Department has issued a ‘red alert’ for heavy to very heavy rains in Valsad, Navsari, Surat, Tapi, Dang, Narmada, Chhota Udepur districts, as well as Kutch, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Devbhumi Dwarka and Morbi in the Saurashtra region till Wednesday morning.

As heavy downpour continued in Navsari district, the Purna and Ambika rivers overflowed and caused flooding in some of the low lying areas.

A total of 9,500 people have so far been evacuated from the affected areas in Navsari district, an official said.

In Navsari city, fire department personnel rescued around 20 people, including a five days old child, from a residential society affected by flooding, he said.

Besides, 21 people stranded on the Karjan river bank near Rajpipla in Narmada district after a sudden water surge rescued on Monday night in a joint operation by the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force.

They carried out the rescue operation in the night darkness without waiting for helicopters, the government said in a statement.

Heavy rainfall also disrupted normal life in Rajkot city as it received 196 mm showers within a few hours on Tuesday, the SEOC said.

Several residential areas were inundated and flooded roads posed problems for commuters.

Rajkot taluka in the district received 115 mm rainfall in just six hours from 6 am on Tuesday, the SEOC said.

Dediapada in Narmada district received 534 mm rainfall in the 24-hour period till 6 am on Tuesday, while Tilakwada and Sagbara talukas recorded 508 mm and 422 mm rainfall, respectively.

Umarpada in Surat received 427 mm rainfall, while Kaprada in Valsad received 401 mm rainfall during the same 24-hour period, the SEOC said.