Gujarat has been grappling with severe flooding as heavy rainfall continues to batter the state, claiming 25 more lives and pushing the total death toll to 35 within three days. Since Monday, around 17,800 people have been evacuated from the inundated regions, as torrential showers have pounded parts of the state for the fourth consecutive day.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and Indian Coast Guard are actively engaged in relief and rescue operations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached out to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to review the situation and ensure that the central government provides necessary support during this crisis.
On Wednesday, several districts in the Saurashtra region, including Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Rajkot, and Porbandar, experienced between 50 mm and 200 mm of rainfall over a 12-hour period, ending at 6 p.m. Devbhumi Dwarka’s Bhanvad taluka recorded the highest rainfall in the state at 185 mm during this timeframe.
Although rain subsided in Vadodara city, flooding in the Vishwamitri river continued to affect low-lying areas. Rescue teams from the NDRF, SDRF, and the Army relocated people stranded in their homes to safer locations. In total, around 17,800 individuals have been evacuated, with another 2,000 rescued so far. The state government reports that over 41,000 people have been relocated and more than 3,000 rescued during this monsoon season.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) in Gandhinagar, 15 deaths were reported on Tuesday, and four more on Wednesday. District collectors have confirmed fatalities in Morbi, Rajkot, Anand, Mahisagar, Ahmedabad, Bharuch, Junagadh, Panchmahal, and Surendranagar.
The SEOC’s latest update indicates that four people died on Wednesday—one due to drowning in Dang and Jamnagar, another from a wall collapse in Aravali, and one from a tree fall in Devbhumi Dwarka’s Bahnvad.
On August 25 and 26, ten people had already lost their lives due to drowning, wall collapses, and tree falls across the state.