Amid relentless heavy rainfall in Gujarat, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has directed officials to begin evacuations from low-lying areas to safer locations. The Chief Minister held a meeting on Sunday, issuing instructions and reviewing the situation in the state’s worst-hit districts, including Valsad, Tapi, Navsari, Surat, Narmada, and Panchmahal.
In a statement, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) reported that CM Patel had telephonic discussions with the collectors of the affected districts to assess the situation and assured the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) of full state support.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre, the highest rainfall recorded on Sunday morning was 64 mm in Sagbara taluk of Narmada district between 6 am and 8 am. Over the past 24 hours, Vapi in Valsad district recorded the maximum rainfall of 326 mm.
Heavy downpours and waterlogging have severely disrupted daily life across parts of the state. In Valsad, SDM Astha Solanki reported that around 120 mm of rainfall since last night led to rising water levels in Kashmir Nagar, prompting the evacuation of nearly 100 families.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert on Sunday, warning of “extremely heavy rainfall” in Gujarat. The IMD also issued red alerts for East Rajasthan, West Madhya Pradesh, Konkan and Goa, Central Maharashtra, and the North-Eastern states of Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, and Tripura. An orange alert has been issued for West Rajasthan, Gangetic West Bengal, Coastal Karnataka, and the North-Eastern states of Assam and Meghalaya.
The government continues to monitor the situation closely, with rescue operations underway and measures in place to prevent further damage and casualties.