Red alert in Gujarat as heavy rain pounds state, schools shut, trains affected

Red signals for severe rains have been issued for several Gujarat regions, including Surat, Daman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Rajkot. Ahmedabad was among the locations hit by heavy rainfall, which caused floods across the state.

In Short

• Over 86 mm of rainfall recorded in the last 24 hours
• Home Minister assures aid, Chief Minister to review situation
• Red alerts issued for several regions in Gujarat

Gujarat’s Ahmedabad was one of many places in the state that had constant rain showers throughout the weekend, resulting in saturated streets, flooding, and infrastructure damage. According to local media, the city received nearly 86 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, which ended at 6 a.m. on Monday morning, for a total of 3.50 inches of rain in a single day.

The situation in Gujarat is anticipated to worsen, with the weather agency predicting even more rain over the following few days. Due to the state’s severe rain warning, the education administration has issued a holiday for all elementary schools on Tuesday.

Three trains—Ahmedabad-Vadodara Intercity Express, Vadodara-Ahmedabad Intercity Express, and Vadodara-Jamnagar Intercity Express—have been affected.

The reason for the severe rainfall in Ahmedabad and other parts of Gujarat is a worsening weather system that is predicted to produce more rain in the coming days, not just in Gujarat but also in other states. According to local reports, Gujarat had steady rainfall on Monday between 6 a.m. and 12 p.m. Here’s what we’ve learnt so far about the state’s rainfall:

• Morwa Hadaf had the most rainfall, up to 6.1 inches, followed by Anand with 5.4 inches.
• Today, 44 talukas in the state got more than 2 inches of rain, while 82 talukas received more than an inch.
• Local weather reports noted that heavy rain continues in some areas of Aravalli, Mahisagar, Vadodara anad Dahod and Saurashtra in the central-southern region of the state.
• The Aravalli region of Gujarat woke up to waterlogged streets as rain continued to pour.

PRECAUTIONS BEING TAKEN

The coast off Gujarat is also anticipating harsh conditions, with fishermen advised to remain put. According to PTI, IMD has issued a warning of landslides, flooding, and horticultural crop loss.

On August 25, red alerts were issued for several regions, including Surat, Daman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Rajkot, and many more, in anticipation of isolated significant rains. Other regions have issued orange alerts.

In view of heavy rain and floods in Gujarat, Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and took a briefing about the current situation and assured all possible help from the central government.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is expected to visit the State Emergency Control Centre today to hold a meeting in the control room. Officials of relevant departments will be present to review the conditions around the state and help formulate a plan to navigate the climate.

Gujarat has already seen heavy rain for the past two days, leading to inundated roads and severe flooding. News agency ANI reported that regions like Narmada, Surat, Tapi and districts in South Gujarat have been most affected by the incessant monsoon.