IMD issues ‘red alert’ for Vadodara, Surat and several other districts in Gujarat, details here

The western state of Gujarat is facing a flood-like situation as rains continue to lash the state. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘red alert’ for several districts in Gujarat, warning people of more rains in the coming days.

The IMD red alert is applicable to Vadodara, Chhotaudepur, Narmada, Bharuch, Surat and several other districts of Gujarat. The deep depression over Saurashtra and Kachchh region, currently centred 50 km north-northwest of Bhuj, is expected to worsen as it moves northeastwards over the Arabian Sea, bringing more rainfall to the region.

The deep depression is moving at a speed of 12 kilometres per hour (kmpl) and is expected to bring “extremely heavy to exceptionally heavy” rains to Saurashtra and Kachchh regions, Ramashray Yadav, a scientist with the IMD, was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times. The situation is likely to remain the same, with warnings of heavy rainfall extending for the next four days, he said.

The situation is worse in Vadodara, where the city has been submerged under water for two days, up to 3.6 metres in some areas, according to media reports. The Vishwamitri river, which flows through the district, has risen by 11.2 metres, well above the danger level following heavy downpour and the release of water from the Ajwa dam.

This problem has caused the city of Vadodara to face severe flooding situations, prompting the state government to call upon the Indian Army to assist in relief and rescue operations.

Gujarat health minister Rushikesh Patel described the situation as “alarming.” Local authorities have evacuated more than 5,000 residents to safety and rescued 1,200 trapped people, according to reports.

According to the report, teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed to increase the pace of relief operations. Most parts of the city remain under water, with areas such as Siddharth Nagar, Akota and Fatehgunj bearing the brunt of the floods.

Deaths since reported rain incidents:

Across the state, rain-related incidents have claimed the lives of 16 people in the past two days. Thousands of people have been displaced as the state experiences its fourth record of heavy rains.

Patel said the government is looking for long-term solutions to reduce flooding as they propose to divert water from the Ajwa dam into the Narmada canal, instead of letting it flow through the Viswamitri river. “The plan has been discussed with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel,” the minister said, according to the report.