Navsari : Heavy rain lashed several parts of Gujarat over the past 24 hours, triggering flood-like conditions in many districts and forcing authorities to open dam gates as rivers swelled with fresh inflows. Rain was recorded in 172 talukas, with Junagadh’s Mangrol receiving the highest 13 inches acros the state.
Two gates of the Venu-2 dam in Upleta were opened by 0.3 metres following a rise in water levels. At Jamjodhpur, five gates of the Umiyasagar dam were opened up to 1.5 metres, prompting authorities to alert low-lying villages and ask residents in affected areas to move to safer places. In Mehsana district’s Kadi town, around 8 inches of rain fell within just two hours at around 2 am, accompanied by strong winds and lightning, leaving the town waterlogged.
Floodwater entered homes in more than 25 housing societies, with water levels ranging from knee-high to waist-high, forcing residents to spend the night trying to save their belongings. Heavy rain continued in many districts on Thursday morning. By 10 am, several areas had already received more than 5 inches of rainfall. In Navsari’s Chikhli, 8 inches of rain fell reported between 8 am to 10 am, creating flood-like conditions.
Water entered homes up to waist level and roads were submerged. In Valsad, 6.10 inches of rain left the city inundated, prompting the deployment of an NDRF team. Houses were also seen submerged in rainwater in Sutrapada. The India Meteorological Department has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in 19 districts of Gujarat on Thursday.
A red alert has been issued in five districts and an orange alert in seven others as five weather systems remain active in the state. The weather department said the monsoon is likely to advance further over the next two to three days. For July 4, a red alert has been issued for South Gujarat districts of Surat, Dang, Navsari and Valsad, along with Daman and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, where heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely, with isolated places expected to receive extremely heavy rain.