AHMEDABAD/ VADODARA/ SURAT/ RAJKOT: The first week of monsoon has spelt doom for Gujarat with 29 deaths reported from across the state on Monday and over 10,000 people evacuated as villagers were asked to move out of low lying areas.

72 villages in Vadodara and Bharuch district have been put on alert compelling district officials to evacuate 2,144 persons in Vadodara and 250 persons in Bharuch.

Of the 29 deaths, nine were reported in Vadodara alone while four persons died in a wall collapse in Bharuch. A constable was swept away by flood waters in Botad town of Bhavnagar. Nearly 1,000 people were evacuated from Navsari district.

At least 1,100 school children were stuck in three different schools in Junagadh district in Suarashtra. Of these 700 students in Alpha school were taken out after 4 feet water level receded from around the school premises. The school turned into an island following a swollen river Kalva there.

In two other schools, 150 students in Manas school and 250 in KVM students were stuck in the school building. In KVM school, fire brigade officials rescued majority of the students by Monday afternoon. Principal of the KVM school, however, did not allow 30 students of Dhanfulia village following blocked roads in the district.

The armed forces have been kept on stand by for rural areas of Ahmedabad. Collector and magistrate D Thara said, “Looking at the situation, the army has been kept on stand by at the moment. The decision has been taken as a precaution for the situation of floods that might occur.

Around 1,500 people have been evacuated from Dhandhuka in Ahmedabad district.” Heavy rains continued to lash south Gujarat for the third day in a row, forcing authorities to shift thousands of people. Rail and road traffic connecting to Mumbai was also heavily disrupted. More than 1,600 people were evacuated from around Surat and shifted to government schools. Several villages were cut off due to heavy rains.

They also said that 62,000 cusec water is being discharged from Ukai. Additional 18,000 cusec water is expected to flow into Tapi river because of heavy rainfall. However, there is nothing to worry, officials in the Collectorate said. The regional weather office has predicted heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in south Gujarat region till Wednesday morning.

In Navsari, where Ambika, Kaveri and Purna rivers are in spate, the district administration has shifted around 7,000 people. Many low-lying areas of Navsari were flooded by the water, throwing life completely out of gear. In Rajkot, 400 persons have been shifted to higher ground.

Heavy rains in Saurashtra have resulted into the overflowing of almost all the major dams. According to Mayor Dhansukh Bhanderi Rajkot on Monday received a rainfall of 8-9 inch which is the maximum recorded rainfall in the last 10-15 years.