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Gujarat on high alert as extremely heavy rainfall likely over next 2 days
The Indian Army, Navy and Air Force have been kept on standby for relief and rescue operations.
The administration has been put on high alert following the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) forecast of extremely heavy rainfall across several districts of Gujarat in the next two days.
"There is a possibility of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall across several districts from July 31 to August 2. Surat, districts of Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Bharuch, Anand, Narmada, Tapi, Dang, Chhota Udepur, Panchmahal, Dahod and Mahisagar have been placed on high alert," an official release said.
Additional Chief Secretary Dr Jayanti Ravi reviewed the disaster management preparedness by holding a meeting with senior officials and ordered the cancellation of leave of local officials, it added.
She also directed that 24x7 control rooms be kept operational in every district, with a Class-I officer deployed round the clock.
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NDRF and SDRF teams should be deployed immediately in low-lying and vulnerable areas whenever necessary, she said.
The Indian Army, Navy and Air Force have been kept on standby for relief and rescue operations.
Ravi also authorized the district collectors to declare school holidays in accordance with the rain situation.
Residents of flood-prone areas would be evacuated in a timely manner to relief shelters equipped with food, safe drinking water, and essential medical facilities, the release said..
Officials appealed to all citizens not to step outside their homes unless absolutely necessary.
A holiday has been declared on Friday for all educational institutions in several districts including Ahmedabad, Surat, Panchmahal, Anand, Bharuch, Navsari, Jamnagar, Kheda and Vadodara.
Relief Commissioner Gaurang Makwana instructed all departments to remain prepared.
The Roads and Buildings Department has been instructed to immediately remove hoardings, banners and pull down dilapidated buildings in urban areas as a precaution.
Gujarat is currently witnessing a highly uneven rainfall pattern, Makwana stated. While some regions such as Dwarka have received comparatively less rainfall, areas like Valsad and Navsari have already recorded nearly 100 percent of their seasonal rainfall, he said.
Considering this uneven situation, the state government has instructed all concerned departments, district collectors and disaster management teams to remain on high alert, he added.
Red alert (indicating exceptionally heavy rainfall) has been issued for Friday in the districts of Narmada, Ahmedabad, Anand, Vadodara, Chhota Udepur, Bharuch, Surat, Tapi, Dang, Navsari, Valsad, Daman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Bhavnagar and Botad, as per IMD's midday forecast issued on Thursday.
An orange alert (very heavy rains) has been forecast for Friday in Gandhinagar, Kheda, Panchmahal and Dahod along with the districts of the Saurashtra region, Surendranagar, Rajkot and Amreli.
Several other districts are likely to receive heavy rains with light thunderstorms.
On Saturday, a red alert has been issued for the districts of Ahmedabad, Anand, Surendranagar and Rajkot.
In the last few days, districts of South Gujarat such as Surat, Valsad and Navsari faced a flood-like situation due to heavy rains. Ahmedabad city and district also experienced extreme water-logging due to heavy rains.
