Gujarat govt alerts coastal regions after IMD warning

State chief secretary A K Joti today convened a high level meeting of the concerned departments in the wake of the IMD warning of very heavy rainfall, especially in Saurashtra region and southern parts of the state, an official statement said.
Joti took stock of the situation and alerted the concerned departments to be prepared for meeting any exigency, it said.

District officials were asked to keep adequate stock of food and drinking water, and take steps to check outbreak of water-borne diseases, it added.
Heavy rains lashed the coastal districts of Junagadh, Porbandar and Amreli today.
According to the state revenue department emergency response centre, two persons have died due to lightning, one each in Amreli and Bhavnagar district, since yesterday.
Several dams in the area having received good rainfall are overflowing and hence their sluice gates have been opened.

"No vehicular traffic is allowed on Talala-Maliya, Talala-Jamwala, Agataray-Okha and Tikar-Manavadar highways, and also Talala-Sangodra approach road, as storm water is overflowing these sections," the statement said.

Heavy rainfall were reported in Lathi and Porbandar (76mm each), and Keshod, Maliya, Manavadar, Mangrol, Mendarda, Sutrapara, Talala and Verval (50mm each).
Moderate to heavy rainfall lashed many parts in Saurashtra region, while heavy downpour since yesterday affected road traffic in Junagadh district.
In Junagadh, Kodinar recorded nearly 381 mm, while Bagasara and Kukavav in Amreli district and many parts in Jamnagar, Porbandar, Rajkot and Bhavnagar received moderate rainfall.

Bhadar dam, the main sources of providing drinking water to people of Rajkot, received fresh four feet rain water, while eight dams in Junagadh district overflowed.
Shingwada river in Kodinar swelled disrupting road traffic, even as many local trains were ran behind schedule.

People living in low laying areas in Kodinar have been alerted but no evacuation has been made so far, sources from the district authority said.
Despite heavy rain in Saurashtra region, no rain related casualty was reported so far, sources said.

Rajkot recorded 107 mm rainfall since today morning, while Porbandar recieved 68 mm, Valsad 72 mm, Veraval 55 mm, Okha 44 mm, Bhuj 48 mm, Amreli 39 mm.