3 dead, 7 missing as heavy rains batter Guj; hundreds shifted

Incessant heavy showers battered several parts of Gujarat on Monday, inundating low-lying areas, with three persons dying and seven missing in rain-related incidents and hundreds shifted to safer places.

The administration is geared up for more showers as the India meteorological department has warned of heavy to very heavy rains with isolated extremely heavy rains in several districts of the state till Thursday morning.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel held a virtual meeting with district collectors, superintendents of police, and senior civic officials of all major cities to review the current situation.

The state education department has declared a holiday for primary schools across the state on Tuesday.

Seven persons are missing after a trolley tractor carrying them got swept away while passing through an overflowing causeway in Halvad taluka of Morbi district.

According to officials, they remained untraceable despite a nearly 20-hour search operation involving the National and State Disaster Response Forces. 

In Sabarkantha district, a car with two persons was washed away in the strong currents of a causeway near Katwad village. They were rescued after locals alerted the fire brigade.

Amid heavy rains, part of a bridge on National Highway 56 was damaged due to the strong flow of water in the Bharaj river in Chhota Udepur district, affecting the movement of vehicles.

"An increase in the inflow of water in Bharaj river due to heavy rainfall upstream damaged the bridge near pillar number three," Chhota Udepur Collector Anil Dhameliya said.

Vadodara, Anand, Kheda and Panchmahals districts received very heavy rainfall on Monday, causing waterlogging in low-lying areas and underpasses and leaving several persons stranded.

"While three persons have died in rain-related incidents in the last 24 hours, the total death toll for this season stands at 99," state commissioner of relief Alok Kumar Pandey said.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel held a virtual meeting with district collectors, superintendents of police, district development officers and municipal commissioners of all major cities to review the current situation, Pandey told reporters.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also spoke to the chief minister over the phone to get details of the situation caused by heavy rains, Patel said in a post on X.

"Hon'ble Union Home Minister Amitbhai Shah had a telephone conversation with me today to get the details of the situation caused by heavy rains in Gujarat. He has assured the necessary assistance, including sending more help from central forces for rescue relief and disaster management in the state if required," Patel tweeted.

The CM also instructed secretaries of concerned departments to take necessary steps, such as restoring electricity in affected areas.

In view of the red alert issued by the IMD, all collectors have been asked to cancel leaves taken by their staff, Pandey said.

South Gujarat has received 105 percent, and Kutch 95.8 percent of its average annual rainfall for the season, while central, north Gujarat and Saurashtra have received 77 percent, 70.74 percent and 91 percent rains, he said.

"As many as 1,653 persons have been rescued so far with the help of the NDRF, SDRF and Coast Guard. Apart from this, 17,800 persons have been shifted to safer places as a precautionary measure so far," Pandey said.

As many as 13 teams of the NDRF teams and 22 of the SDRF were deployed in the affected districts to support rescue and relief operations, he said.

Hundreds of people were shifted to safer places due to the rise in the water level of rivers and dams.

At least 280 people were shifted to safer places from the low-lying areas in Bharuch city after nearly 4 lakh cusecs water was released into the Narmada river from Sardar Sarovar Dam, officials said.

Amid incessant heavy rains in Navsari in south Gujarat and water levels in Purna, Kaveri and other rivers crossing the danger mark, more than 1,500 people have been relocated, collector Agre Kshipra Suryakantrao said.

Padra taluka of Vadodara district received 270 mm of rainfall in 12 hours starting at 6 am on Monday.

As per data shared by the State Emergency Operation Centre, Borsad taluka in Anand received 268 mm of rainfall, followed by Vadodara taluka in Vadodara district with 262 mm, and Nadiad taluka in Kheda district with 232 mm in 12 hours.

At least 237 out of 251 talukas in the state received rainfall, with 43 talukas receiving more than 100 mm showers.

A total of 17,827 people were relocated, and 1,653 people rescued in the state so far this season.

Authorities have urged people to remain indoors and not venture near water bodies.

The IMD has forecast widespread and intense rainfall over the next two to three days and warned of heavy to very heavy rains with isolated extremely heavy rains in several districts till Thursday morning.