NEW DELHI, Aug 27: Several parts of Gujarat were battered by heavy to very heavy rains on Monday forcing authorities to shift hundreds of people to safe places after low-lying areas in Navsari and Valsad districts in south Gujarat were inundated due to a rise in the water level of monsoon rivers.
More than 300 people in the low-lying areas of Bharuch town were also moved to safer places as the level of the Narmada river kept rising and was flowing near the danger level under the Golden Bridge in Bharuch town threatening to enter the town if rains continued at the Narmada dam’s catchment areas in Madhya Pradesh.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday spoke with the State Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, assuring them of Central assistance, if needed. During their telephonic conversation, Mr Shah expressed his concern and assured them that the Central government would provide all necessary support to address the crisis.
Mr Shah’s prompt response aimed to ensure that the affected areas received help on time. “Due to the heavy rains causing flood-like conditions in some areas of Gujarat, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with the Chief Minister and Home Minister of Gujarat and assured them of any assistance needed from the central government,” official sources said.
A search operation by NDRF is underway in Gujarat’s Morbi district in the Saurashtra region to trace seven persons swept away along with their tractor trolley while crossing a flooded causeway on a river amid heavy rains. Ten out of 17 persons on board the tractor-trolley were rescued in an overnight operation near Dhavana village.
“The tractor-trolley carrying 17 persons swept away when it was passing through a causeway (over a river) near Dhavana village in Halvad taluka of Morbi district at around 9 pm on Sunday. Ten persons were rescued while seven others are missing,” said Morbi fire officer Devendrasinh Jadeja. State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel are conducting a search operation, he said.
At 356 mm, Khergam taluka in Navsari district recorded the highest rainfall in the last 24 hours ending 6 AM on Monday, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) data showed. During this period, Dang-Ahwa taluka of the Dangs district received 268 mm of rainfall and Kaprada (Valsad district) 263 mm.
Parts of Narmada, Surendranagar, Rajkot, Tapi, Mahisagar and Morbi, Dahod and Vadodara were among other districts that received over 100 mm of rainfall. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel spoke over the phone to collectors of Morbi, Kutch, Rajkot, Surendranagar and Bhavnagar districts of the Saurashtra region, and Bharuch and Dang districts in south Gujarat late Sunday to review the situation. Mr Patel instructed the collectors to remain alert and ensure the safety of people and their livestock by constantly monitoring the rainfall situation, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) stated.
Amid forecasts for more rains in the state, Chief Secretary Raj Kumar chaired a review meeting on Sunday evening.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), meanwhile, has forecast very to very heavy rains in the state over the entire week. “Based on this [forecast], the Chief Secretary instructed the various district administrations to make all necessary preparations. He instructed the officers and employees of the district and taluka administrative system to be present on duty at the headquarters considering the prevailing rain situation,” stated an official release.
The Chief Secretary said the administrations should remain especially vigilant in places where people are likely to gather in large numbers considering the upcoming festivals during Shravan month to avert any rain-related tragedy. Local administration should also ensure that roads closed due to flooding are restored immediately and electricity supply is not disrupted for long.
With the current spell of rains, districts in south Gujarat have received over 105% of the average annual rainfall so far, the highest in the State. Eight districts of south Gujarat and Saurashtra have received more than 100% of their average annual rainfall. All other districts recorded more than 50 per cent of the average annual rainfall so far this season, the SEOC data showed.
Official sources said the level in the Narmada river rose after nearly four lakh cusecs of water was released from the Sardar Sarovar dam following a huge inflow of water from Omkareshwar dam in MP. The Sardar Sarovar’s water storage on Monday touched a height of 135.20m, just 3.48m less than its full capacity of 138.68m, a release by the State government stated.
“The dam, situated near Kevadia in Narmada district, is receiving 3.68 lakh cusecs of water and 3.95 lakh cusecs were released in the river,” it said. Of 30 gates of the dam, 15 were opened on Sunday night, and eight have been opened since morning. At present, these 23 gates are open up to the height of 2.2 meters to allow discharge of 3.95 lakh cusecs water directly into the river, the release stated.
“With such a huge discharge coupled with incessant rains, the Narmada river is now flowing just below the danger level of 24 feet near Bharuch town, prompting the authorities to shift 280 people living in low-lying areas,” Bharuch collector Tushar Sumera said.
“Heavy rains have lashed Bharuch in the last two to three days, and the showers will continue for the next two days. Moreover, nearly 4 lakh cusecs water was released in Narmada, and it touched the danger level of 24 feet at the Golden Bridge in the afternoon. Luckily, the water level has come under that mark within an hour,” Mr Sumera told reporters.
“As a precautionary measure, 280 people living near the river bank in Bharuch town were shifted to safer places,” he said. “We will allow them to return home once the water level is below 22 feet. We have deployed our teams in each taluka to monitor the situation and take necessary action,” Mr Sumera said.
In the neighbouring Narmada district, authorities have asked people living in 28 villages of Nandod, Garudeshwar and Tilakwada talukas to avoid going near the river bank, the release said.
(Manas Dasgupta)