Gujarat: Holiday declared in Surat for schools, colleges, diamond units and textile markets (Lead)
Surat, July 31
Authorities in Surat on Friday declared a holiday for schools, colleges, diamond processing units, factories and textile markets as the city and district prepared for heavy rainfall and strong winds forecast by the India Meteorological Department.
The decision was taken as a precaution after a 'Red Alert' was issued and a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal moved towards the region.
Surat Municipal Commissioner, M. Nagarajan, said the civic administration is continuously monitoring the evolving weather situation through senior officials and had already begun evacuating residents from low-lying areas of the city.
"Keeping the safety of students, citizens and workers in mind, holidays have been declared for schools, colleges, diamond units, factories and textile markets. Market associations have also announced a holiday," Nagarajan said.
He said the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) had initiated the evacuation of people living in vulnerable low-lying localities and urged residents to remain vigilant.
Citizens in Kim and surrounding areas on the outskirts of the city, as well as upstream river locations including Valanja, Kathor and Gothan, were advised to remain alert as heavy rainfall could lead to waterlogging.
With forecasts indicating heavy rain accompanied by strong winds later in the day, the Municipal Commissioner appealed to residents to remain indoors, move valuables and belongings to safer locations to minimise potential damage, and ensure that people living in low-lying areas took necessary precautions to avoid any loss of life.
Nagarajan said teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) had been positioned for emergency response.
He also said the Surat District Collector had requested the State Government to deploy an Army team to strengthen preparedness if the situation deteriorated.
He urged the public to cooperate with the administration and follow official instructions.
Separately, Surat District Development Officer, Devendra Prakash Meena, said the district administration had been placed on full alert after the IMD warned of heavy rainfall and strong winds linked to the low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal.
"The entire district administration is in the field and is closely monitoring the situation. Citizens should not pay attention to rumours circulating on social media or through other platforms and should rely only on information officially issued by the district administration," Meena said.
Meena further urged people to maintain a safe distance from high-rise buildings, old and large trees and electricity poles during periods of strong winds.
He advised residents to contact the district administration's control room immediately in the event of any emergency.
— IANS
Reader Comments
🙏 Finally a proactive response from the authorities! Usually we get to know about these things after the damage is done. Moving people out of low-lying areas early and having NDRF and SDRF teams ready is the right approach. I just hope the Army team deployment happens quickly if needed. Also, kudos to the Commissioner for urging people to not believe rumours on social media.
It's great to see Indian administrations taking weather warnings seriously. Floods and cyclones can cause massive losses, and in places like Surat where there are industrial clusters, the economic impact can be huge. I hope the authorities also ensure that after the rains pass, there's a proper plan for sanitation and disease prevention, which is often a follow-up concern in such situations.
Surat has learned from the 2006 floods. Back then, the city was unprepared and suffered huge losses. Today, they have the SMC monitoring rivers, low-lying areas, and coordinating with the district collector. It's always good to see officials being so responsive. I just hope the evacuation is truly reaching everyone in need, especially the elderly and those living in informal settlements.
Typical of our city to get it right this time. But you know what? The real test is how they manage the aftermath. It's not just about declaring a holiday, it's about ensuring that the power supply gets restored quickly, no waterlogging in the main roads, and of course, that the essential services like hospitals and emergency services are fully operational. Let's see how it goes. Stay safe, everyone! 🌧️
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