Heavy rain disrupts normal life in south Gujarat

The south-west monsoon advanced over parts of the North Arabian Sea, South Gujarat and Saurashtra region, leading to heavy rain in the South Gujarat districts of Valsad, Vapi and Surat.

As per the state control room, 105 of the 251 talukas in the state have received two or more inches of rain in the last 24 hours. Of these, nine talukas have received 2-4 inches of rain, while 96 talukas have recorded up to two inches of rain.

Among the worst affected areas is Umargam in Valsad district which received 22 inches of rain in the last 30 hours. Of this, around 4-5 inches of rainfall was recorded since Monday morning.

The other South Gujarat regions that have received heavy rain include, Kaprada (4 inches), Bardoli (3 inches), Gandevi and Valsad (2.5 inches each), Sonkgadh, Aanklav, Vapi, Dharpur and Palsana (2 inches each).

The local administration announced the closure of schools in many places, as reports of water logging in residential areas poured in.

National Highway 48 was under water near at Nagwada in South Gujarat, while water entered houses near a bridge connecting Sanjan and Talasari towns, forcing the local administration to shift residents to a nearby factory. A track was submerged near Vapi, hitting railway services in the area.

Reports of up to two-km long traffic jam on the busy Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway have also been reported, as 4-5 feet of water on the road made it difficult for smaller vehicles to traverse. So far, there have been no reports of any casualties from anywhere in the state.

Ten teams of the National Disaster Response Force are on standby in Vadodara, Valsad, Surat, Gandhinagar and Himmatnagar districts as the Met department has predicted heavy to very heavy rain in these regions over the next 48 hours.