Heavy rains continue to lash Saurashtra; over 1,000 evacuated

Over 1,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying areas in Saurashtra in the last two day as heavy rains lashed the region in Gujarat for the third consecutive day on Tuesday, an official said.

The NDRF on Tuesday rescued nine people from a village in Jodia taluka of Jamnagar, two persons from Dhrol taluka and three from a village in Porbandar district - all located near river banks, he said.

According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), Khambhalia taluka received 291 mm rainfall between 6 am and 4 pm on Tuesday, while it had received 487 mm rainfall on Sunday and 230 mm on Monday.

Several parts of Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Porbandar and Rajkot districts in Saurashtra witnessed very heavy showers, with Jamjodhpur in Jamnagar receiving 171 mm rainfall.

Bhanvad and Kalyanpur talukas of Devbhumi Dwarka district received 155 mm and 119 mm rainfall, respectively, between 6 am and 4 pm on Tuesday, the SEOC said.

Heavy rains also caused waterlogging in several residential areas in Jamnagar and threw normal life out of gear.

According to locals, a temple in Jamjodhpur was submerged in rainwater and several rivers were in spate causing flood-like situations in villages.

As many as 1,162 people were evacuated from low-lying areas and shifted to safer places in Jamnagar, Devbhumi Dwarka and Porbandar districts in the last couple of days, state relief commissioner Harshad Patel said.

"At least 115 were sent back to their homes on Tuesday after situation improved at their respective villages while 1,047 are still at different shelters," he said.

At least six teams of the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed in Saurashtra region and three in south Gujarat, Patel told reporters in Gandhinagar.

The NDRF rescued nine people from a village in Jodia taluka of Jamnagar, two persons from Dhrol taluka and three from a village in Porbandar district - all located near river banks, he said.

The India Meteorological Department's Ahmedabad centre said the monsoon remained "vigorous" over Saurashtra-Kutch on Monday, causing heavy rainfall in the region.

A well-marked low-pressure area formed over Saurashtra and neighbouring regions persisted along with an associated cyclonic circulation, the IMD said.

As per the IMD's forecast, heavy to very heavy rains are likely to lash isolated places in Devbhumi Dwarka and Kutch districts on Wednesday.