Monsoon rains lashed most parts of Gujarat on Wednesday with the total death toll reaching 22 and authorities declaring alert on 12 dams.
AHMEDABAD/SURAT: Monsoon rains lashed most parts of Gujarat on Wednesday with the total death toll reaching 22 and authorities declaring alert on 12 dams. As many as 5,000 residents in south Gujarat near Navsari have been evacuated and at least five coastal villages in Porbandar have been flooded with sea water.
Rains accompanied by cyclonic wind blowing at 125 kmph late on Tuesday evening wreaked havoc in Ahmedabad. At least 2,000 villages and 12 cities in north Gujarat suffered from total power cut with trees falling on over 1,500 electricity poles. A dam in Surat and Junagadh each are on high alert and three dams in other parts are also in alert stage. According to Navsari flood control room officials, Purna and Ambika rivers in South Gujarat are flowing above danger mark. However, officials at the state flood control room claimed that the state was not on high flood alert.
Villagers from seven to eight villages in Surat district were evacuated and shifted to government schools even as Surat collector Vatsala Vasudeva directed the administration to remain vigilant. Surat municipal commissioner Pankaj Joshi said that there is no fear of floods in Surat at present. A flood alert has also been sounded in Navsari, in view of the continuing rainfall.
Heavy rainfall was also received in Vapi, Valsad, Daman, Ankleshar, Bharuch and other places in the region, throwing life completely out of gear.
Fifty-year-old Bhagat Dodha, a resident of Sindori village in the union territory of Daman, was washed away by the waters of Saankaltod river on Tuesday night. The IMD has predicted heavy rains to continue in the state for the next 24 hours.
With inputs from Summit Khanna, Dilip Patel
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