There is a flood like situation due to heavy rains in Gujarat. PM Modi has talked to CM Patel and assured help. Red alert has been issued in Navsari, Surat and Valsad districts of South Gujarat. NDRF and administration teams are engaged in rescue and relief work.
Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [भारत]July 23 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel over phone and took stock of the situation arising out of heavy rains in the state. In view of the heavy rains, the Prime Minister assured all possible assistance from the Center for relief and rescue operations and safety of citizens.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the relief and rescue operations amid the heavy rain situation in Gujarat. The Union Home Minister assured the state of all necessary assistance in this regard.
Flood like situation in South Gujarat
There is a flood like situation in Navsari district of Gujarat as all the major rivers are in spate. Heavy flows were reported in Kaveri, Ambika, Kharera and Purna rivers. A total of 218 internal roads have been closed due to waterlogging and floods. Water has entered houses and temples along the banks of Kaveri river.
With extremely heavy rains lashing South Gujarat, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has appointed senior ministers and officials to oversee relief operations. According to the Information Commissionerate, CM Bhupendra Patel has appointed Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi, Tribal Development Minister Naresh Patel and senior secretaries to assist the administration in Surat, Valsad and Navsari districts affected by heavy rains. Secretaries in-charge have been instructed to immediately reach red alert districts for rain-related preparation and response.
Districts in south Gujarat remained on high alert on Thursday as extremely heavy rains led to waterlogging, swollen rivers and mass evacuation of people to safer places. Authorities have issued a red alert in Surat, Navsari and Valsad and closed schools and colleges.
Red alert in Surat, administration ready
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a rainfall warning across Gujarat, predicting extremely heavy rainfall in several districts in the next three days, following which the district administration and Surat Municipal Corporation have launched 24×7 relief and rescue operations. Surat city is on red alert due to heavy rains.
District Collector Tejas Parmar said the administration is on “full alert” for Surat district, with heavy rain expected between 10:00 pm Wednesday and 4:00 am Thursday. “Evacuation of people from low-lying areas has begun by NDRF and relief teams. Residents of low-lying areas are appealed to fully cooperate with the administration. Avoid rumours; rely only on news verified by the government,” Parmar posted on Twitter.
Surat Municipal Corporation deployed teams for rapid drainage in key areas. At Monarch Junction on Pal Gaurav Path Road in Rander Zone, SMC workers started operation to clear rain water. In Athwa Zone, immediate de-watering operations were carried out to eliminate waterlogging and restore normal life.
Relief centers set up by SMC are continuously providing assistance. Milk and food packets were distributed in the morning to residents shifted from affected areas. Medical teams are also conducting health checks and monitoring at the centres. In a timely rescue operation, 11 residents, including children, were evacuated to a safe place from Krishna Nagar area of Pandesara village.
Situation serious due to heavy rain in Valsad also
In view of the heavy rain conditions in Valsad, the Information Commissionerate announced that all factories and industrial units in the district will remain closed on Thursday. “Priority to the safety of workers and public interest; instructions to maintain only minimum staff for essential services,” the statement said.
The district administration has also appealed to citizens to “stay in safe places and not come out of their homes without any reason”. The Collector and District Development Officer have requested that except for extremely essential work, people should not go out and follow the instructions issued from time to time.
Thursday, July 23, has been declared a holiday in all schools of Valsad district. In Pardi taluka, 103 people from low-lying villages were evacuated to safe places after water entered their houses. The affected include 6 people from Kumbhariya, 9 from Palsana, 39 from Tighra, 11 from Bagwada, 6 from Umarsadi and 32 from Amli. The District Disaster Management Control Room is monitoring the situation round the clock.
IMD issued advisory
According to the IMD, officials have advised people to check local traffic updates before traveling and avoid waterlogged areas and underpasses. During the typhoon, residents have been advised to stay indoors, keep doors and windows closed, unplug sensitive electronic devices and avoid sheltering under trees.
Residents living in old or dilapidated buildings and near river banks have been advised to move to safer places. Fishermen have also been advised not to venture into the sea as fishing activities may be seriously disrupted. (ANI)
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