Heavy rains lash parts of north Gujarat, highways blocked, low-lying areas flooded

Heavy rains lashed parts of north Gujarat on Saturday, inundating low-lying areas and blocking state highways and roads connecting villages.

According to officials, water levels have reached above the danger mark in 66 out of 206 reservoirs in the state.

As per data shared by the state emergency operation centre (SEOC), Vadgam taluka of Banaskantha district received 112 mm rainfall in 24 hours ending at 6 am on Saturday, the highest in the state, followed by Nadiad taluka of Kheda district (102 mm), and Meghraj in Arvalli district (101 mm).

Vijapur taluka of Mehsana district received 205 mm of rainfall in four hours from 6 am to 10 am on Saturday, the SEOC said.

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Rains disrupted normal life in Ahmedabad city as well. Six state highways and 36 panchayat roads were flooded, the government said in an update. Seven villagers were rescued in Dahod and Chhota Udepur districts on Friday after they were stranded as water levels of rivers rose amid rains.

Teams from the local police and fire department rescued six persons in Dhanpur taluka of Dahod, as the Panam river was in spate due to heavy rains, and a woman was similarly rescued in Moti Tokri village of Chhota Udepur district, officials said.

A government update stated that of 206 reservoirs in the state, 52 were full to the brim, 66 were on high alert, and 42 were 70-100 per cent full. The Sardar Sarovar Dam at Kevadia in Narmada district has reached 88 per cent capacity, it said.

Meanwhile, officials said that eight teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 20 from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed in different districts as a precautionary measure.

The IMD has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places, with isolated extremely heavy showers in parts of south Gujarat till the morning of August 27.

The state has received 76.57 per cent of average annual rainfall so far, with the south Gujarat region receiving the highest 90.2 per cent, followed by Kutch with 88.97 per cent and Saurashtra with 82.8 per cent rains, the SEOC said.

Districts in north and east-central regions of the state have received 59.33 mm and 62.68 mm showers so far, the SEOC said. As per the SEOC update, Navsari, Bharuch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, and Junagadh districts have received more than 100 mm of rainfall so far this season.

Surendranagar and Botad are rain-deficient with 26-50 mm rainfall so far, it said. As per the government update, 17,450 persons were relocated to safer places, and 1,653 were rescued from rain-affected areas since the onset of the monsoon season.

In light of the IMD's heavy rainfall warning, fishermen have been advised not to venture into the Arabian Sea till August 27.

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