Gujarat Floods: Death Toll Rises To 28; Army Called in for Relief Operations

Several regions across Gujarat are grappling with a severe flood crisis as relentless rainfall continued to pummel the western state for the fourth consecutive day on Wednesday. Vadodara emerged as the most affected city, where some areas have been submerged under as much as 10 to 12 feet of water, prompting the state government to enlist the Indian Army’s assistance for rescue and relief operations, according to officials.

40,000 people displaced

The heavy monsoon rains have already claimed at least 28 lives in the past three days, while approximately 40,000 people have been evacuated to safer locations, stated Alok Kumar Pandey, the state relief commissioner. The situation is expected to worsen, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall in isolated areas across various districts in the Saurashtra region on Thursday.

Although there was a brief lull in the downpour in Vadodara, the city is still struggling with severe flooding, particularly in low-lying neighborhoods. The Vishwamitri River, which runs through Vadodara, overflowed its banks after breaching its danger level of 25 feet on Tuesday morning. The breach was triggered by torrential rain combined with water released from the Ajwa Dam. The flooding has inundated roads, buildings, and vehicles, exacerbating the city’s challenges.

Gujarat Health Minister assessed the situation

Rushikesh Patel, Gujarat’s Health Minister and government spokesperson, who visited Vadodara on Wednesday to assess the situation, reported, “Some low-lying parts of the city were submerged under 10-12 feet of water, while other areas experienced 4-5 feet of flooding.” He further noted that officials have closed the gates of the Ajwa Dam, where water levels reached a critical 213.8 feet, to prevent further flow into the already swollen Vishwamitri River, which now stands at 37 feet, well above its danger mark. “So far, over 5,000 people have been evacuated, and another 1,200 have been rescued in Vadodara,” Patel added.

Amidst the dire circumstances, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to evaluate the flood situation and offered the central government’s support in managing the natural disaster. In response, the Chief Minister requested the deployment of five additional teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and four Army columns to assist with rescue efforts in Vadodara, according to an official state release. Rescue boats from Ahmedabad and Surat have also been dispatched to aid in the ongoing relief operations.

Floods caused significant loss of life

The floods have caused a significant loss of life, with 28 fatalities reported in rain-related incidents across the state in the past three days. These deaths have occurred in several districts, including Rajkot, Anand, Mahisagar, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Morbi, Junagadh, and Bharuch. Among the deceased are seven individuals out of eight who went missing after their tractor trolley was swept away while crossing an overflowing causeway near Dhavana village in Morbi district’s Halvad taluka on Sunday. Their bodies have been recovered, but the whereabouts of a six-year-old girl who was also involved in the incident remain unknown.

Nine more lives were lost on Tuesday due to incidents such as wall collapses and drowning in different parts of the state. Similarly, seven deaths occurred on Monday in similar rain-related incidents. On Wednesday, three members of a family drowned when their car was swept away by floodwaters in Rajkot, police confirmed.

So far, Gujarat has received 934.49 mm of rainfall, which is 105% of its average annual precipitation, according to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC). On Wednesday, districts in the Saurashtra region, including Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Rajkot, and Porbandar, recorded between 50 mm to 200 mm of rainfall over a 12-hour period ending at 6 pm. Thirteen out of the state’s 251 talukas experienced more than 200 mm of rain, while another 39 talukas received over 100 mm during the same period.

Rescue operations underway

In Porbandar, at least 14 people were airlifted during rescue operations on Wednesday, with local officials stating that some villages had effectively turned into islands due to the heavy rain and the release of water from the Bhadar Dam.

Flooding has also led to widespread disruption of transportation and other essential services. As many as 140 reservoirs, dams, and 24 rivers in Gujarat were flowing above their danger levels. Rains have flooded roads and railway lines, hampering both road traffic and train services. Out of 206 dams in the state, 122 have been put on high alert due to rapidly rising water levels.

Railway services have been particularly hard hit, with tracks submerged in water. The Western Railway’s Ahmedabad division announced the cancellation of 48 trains, the partial cancellation of 14 others, and the diversion of 23 more to alternate routes.