Gujarat: Heavy rain alert prompts evacuations, school closures
Gandhinagar, July 31
Gujarat has intensified its disaster preparedness as forecasts of heavy to very heavy rainfall prompted authorities to evacuate vulnerable residents, place emergency teams on high alert and strengthen relief and rescue arrangements across multiple districts.
The state administration moved swiftly after the India Meteorological Department forecast heavy rainfall over the next two days in Ahmedabad, Anand, Aravalli, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Dang, Gandhinagar, Kheda, Narmada, Navsari, Sabarkantha, Surat, Tapi, Vadodara and Valsad districts.
Residents were advised to remain alert, avoid unnecessary travel and stay indoors unless essential. In Gandhinagar, Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Dr Jayanti Ravi visited the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) to review preparedness.
After receiving a detailed briefing from Relief Commissioner Gaurang Makwana on the prevailing situation, she inspected the control room and directed all emergency response teams to remain on 24x7 alert.
Surat district witnessed some of the state's most significant precautionary measures after receiving between three and 10 inches of rainfall across its talukas.
The district administration said 1,117 people from rural areas had been safely evacuated by 4 p.m. on Friday from low-lying and vulnerable villages.
People were relocated to government primary schools, shelter homes, community halls and the homes of relatives.
The largest evacuation took place in Mangrol taluka, where 321 residents from villages including Vasravi, Luvara, Harangam, Vankal, Bhilwada, Khareda, Boriya, Shah and Ambawadi were moved to safer locations.
Elsewhere, 276 people were evacuated from villages in Mandvi taluka, 151 from Ambika taluka, 99 from Olpad taluka, 76 from Areth taluka, 40 from Bardoli taluka, another 40 from Choryasi taluka and 34 from Chikhli village in Kamrej taluka.
Authorities said food and accommodation had been arranged for all evacuees, while Palsana and Umarpada remained under close watch for any further evacuations.
To strengthen disaster response, the Surat district administration appointed senior Class-I officers to oversee relief and rescue operations in each rural taluka under the Disaster Management Act.
The officers will coordinate directly with the Surat Disaster Management Centre and supervise preparedness, evacuation and emergency operations in their designated areas.
The Disaster Management Centre has asked citizens to contact its control room or local Mamlatdar and Prant offices in case of emergencies.
In neighbouring Tapi district, District Collector Dev Chaudhary chaired a review meeting and ordered that evacuations from low-lying and flood-prone areas be completed within six hours whenever required.
The administration adopted a "Zero Casualty" approach for relief and rescue operations, declared a holiday for all schools, colleges, Anganwadis and educational institutions on Saturday, and instructed officials to barricade overtopped roads and bridges and install warning signs.
JCB machines, tractors and other essential resources have been kept on standby, while all taluka-level control rooms are operating round the clock in alert mode.
Residents have been urged to avoid unnecessary travel and stay away from waterlogged areas.
As a precaution, the state government also postponed its weekly statewide cleanliness programme scheduled for Sunday, August 2, citing the likelihood of heavy rainfall.
In Dang district, authorities evacuated all 311 students from the Mahal Eklavya School in Subir taluka after water entered the school campus. The students were shifted to a nearby secondary school, where arrangements for accommodation and meals were made.
The evacuation was carried out with the assistance of the local administration, police, teachers and villagers.
Rescue operations were also underway in Chhota Udaipur district after the civil administration reported people trapped in Bodeli.
A team from the 6th Battalion of the National Disaster Response Force, led by Inspector Brijesh Vishwakarma, reached the site shortly after 5 p.m. and began flood-water rescue operations.
By 5:40 p.m., the team had evacuated 27 people, comprising 12 men, 13 women and two children, while operations continued. Separately, authorities in Anand district closed the Ras-Virsad Major District Road after overtopping made the route unsafe.
The closure affects villages including Virsad, Ranoli, Khanpur, Saijpur and Ras. Traffic has been diverted via Ras, Jharola and Chuva to Virsad, with the road expected to reopen on August 3.
Across the state, officials said emergency control rooms remain operational, resources have been pre-positioned, and monitoring of vulnerable areas will continue as the spell of heavy rainfall persists.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good to see the disaster management systems working. The coordination between NDRF, local authorities, and the evacuation of school children from Dang was well organized. Hope the rains don't cause too much damage.
The evacuation of 1,117 people in Surat alone shows how prepared our administration is now compared to 2005 and 2006 floods. But I wish they would also focus on long-term solutions like better drainage systems and flood-proof infrastructure. Evacuation is just a short-term fix.
Well done to the authorities for quick action. However, we need to remember that climate change is making these extreme weather events more frequent. We need to invest in better forecasting, stronger embankments, and community awareness programs. Let's not just react but also prepare for the future.
As someone who lives in Ahmedabad, I appreciate the school closures. Safety of our children is paramount. Also nice to see the cleanliness drive being postponed for this - shows the government is prioritizing rain safety over optics. 👍
Impressive response time by the Gujarat administration. The NDRF team reaching Bodeli within hours and rescuing 27 people shows the system works when there's political will. But we must ask - why do we always have to react to disasters? Why can't we invest more in preventive measures? Something to think about.
S < We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.