Gujarat rains: 350 people relocated from low lying areas of Valsad

Valsad: Amid the prevailing flood-like situations in the Valsad district of Gujarat, the police and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have relocated at least 350 people to safer places from the low-lying areas of the district, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Nilesh Kukadia said on Wednesday.

"Since the water level is rising here, we have appealed to the people to move on to safer places...We have also availed the people with the shelter homes facility," SDM Kukadia told ANI.

"Currently, the dam level of Auranga river is 3.41 metres and we have shifted around 350 people, with the help of (local) administration, NDRF, Police team, Revenue administration, and the Municipality," he said further.

Meanwhile, the NDRF captain Suresh Kumar said that they have evacuated people to safer places before the danger to life increases when the water level will rise at the night.

"Two teams (NDRF) are deployed here with the local administration and rescue agencies. Our teams are active at various places in Gujarat and each of them is capable enough of overcoming any kind of flood situation," Kumar added.

A red alert has been issued by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel after his aerial inspection yesterday. Patel got details of the dire situation due to heavy rains in Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Navsari, Dang and Valsad districts from the collectors of the districts, and visited the rain-affected Narmada, Navsari and Chhotaudepur districts.

However, the Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, VS Pathania, also informed about the helicopter launched by the ICG, as an attempt for Valsad Flood relief.

"Yesterday we received the information from the administration of Daman regarding the floods in river Ambika and helicopters were launched. We found that a few people were stranded on the rooftops. These people were shifted to safety," Pathania said.

Notably, Valsad has been reeling under the floods after torrential rainfall hit several parts of the district, during the past few days.

The ICG officials had also said that the Indian Coast Guard had launched an operation through the helicopter Chetak and rescued 16 people from the area on Monday.

As an aftermath of the heavy rain in the city, the water of the Auranga river started overflowing on Sunday (July 10), which led to the flooded low-lying areas in the Valsad district.

The NDRF teams and local administration had relocated around 300 people to safer locations on Sunday.
The Meteorological Department predicted light to moderate rainfall in the entire state for the next three days. Extremely heavy rainfall is expected in many districts of South Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutch.

"For the next 5 days, light to moderate rainfall is expected in the entire state. Extremely heavy rainfall is expected in many districts of South Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutch. The intensity of rainfall will reduce by July 15," Dr Manorama Mohanty, Director, Meteorological Department said on Tuesday.

Parts of south Gujarat and Kutch-Saurashtra received very heavy showers in the last 24 hours (on July 13) leaving 14 people dead, while over 31,000 were evacuated so far this rainy season, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

Three national highways in Kutch, Navsari and Dang districts were also blocked due to damage caused by rains. 51 state highways and over 400 panchayat roads have also been damaged, state Disaster Management Minister Rajendra Trivedi told reporters. (ANI)