Over 7,000 Evacuated as Heavy Rains Lash Gujarat's Jamnagar and Rajkot

The IMD forecasts that heavy rains will continue in parts of Gujarat till Thursday, 16 September.

Gujarat Floods: At least 7,000 people have been evacuated from flood-prone areas of Gujarat's Rajkot and Jamnagar. 

(Photo: PIB Gujarat, PRO Defence Gujarat/ Twitter)

Extreme rains lashed Gujarat’s Rajkot and Jamnagar, resulting in over 7,000 people being evacuated to safer ground and leaving at least 200 stranded in the flood-affected areas on Tuesday, 14 September, reported NDTV, quoting officials.

According to The Indian Express, at least two people in Jamnagar and one in Rajkot have died, with at least five more reported missing in the latter. The heavy rains have also affected at least 18 state highways passing through the flood-affected areas of Rajkot, Jamnagar, Junagadh districts.

Following reports of floods, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams along with the Indian Air Force (IAF), Indian Navy (IN), and Coast Guard have been deployed to rescue those stranded in affected areas.

At least 4,200 Evacuated from Jamnagar; 2,400 from Rajkot

According to NDTV, IAF has rescued 150 people in Jamnagar and 56 people in Rajkot districts.

Citing official sources in Rajkot, The Indian Express reports that at least 1,300 people have been evacuated from Jangleshwar, Ramnathpara, Popatpara, Laludi Vokali and more than 1,150 have been evacuated from Gondal, Lodhika, Rajkot rural, and Upleta talukas of Rajkot district.

In Jamnagar, at least 4,200 people have been evacuated, of which 1,500 were rescued from the main city, reported The Indian Express, quoting Jamnagar district collector Saourabh Pardhi.

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel Takes Survey

Newly sworn-in Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited flood affected areas in Jamnagar to review the situation on Tuesday.

Informing that power supply has been affected in 84 villages of the district, Patel said, "Government is with the affected people. Teams from outside, as well as local ones, have been instructed to call for a survey of damage. Survey has been conducted in a positive manner so as not to be misleading," news agency ANI reported.

During his aerial survey, Patel was accompanied by former Revenue Minister RC Faldu, Jamnagar MP, Poonamben Maadam and Gujarat Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar.

According to the official data from the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), the state has received almost 70 percent of the average annual rainfall, with most of the districts of Saurashtra receiving 92 percent to 98 percent of the annual average. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange alert for Tuesday and Red alert for Wednesday, 15 September, for several places of Saurashtra and has forecasted that rains are likely to continue for three more days.