At least 2 people have died and 3,500 displaced after flooding and heavy rain in parts of the Indian state of Gujarat. The latest deaths bring the total number of fatalities in Gujarat for this year’s monsoon to 29, according to India’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Heavy rain over the last two days has caused flooding the districts of Gir Somnath, Surat, Amreli, Junagadh and Valsad. In a 24 hour period to 17 July, Dangs recorded 95.3 mm of rain, Navsari 92.5 mm and Valsad 139.4 mm. Local observers said that levels of the Auranga river were extremely high.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to visit the state on 20 July but this has now been postponed due to the severe weather. Further heavy rain has been forecast over the next 4 to 5 days.
Seventeen teams from India’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed: one team each in Surat, Valsad, Panchmahal, Banaskatha, Mahisagar, Vavsari, Aravali, Jaitpur (Rajkot), Amreli, Bhavnagar and Tapi. Two teams are in Gandhinagar and four in Gir Somnath. A further teams are on stand by at an NDRF base in Vododara.
NDRF teams in Gir Somnath evacuated 90 marooned people and also distributed 550 food packets on 17 July.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani conducted an aerial survey of the flooding and instructed officials and district administrations to ensure safety of all citizens.
Monsoon in India 2018
Monsoon in India 2018
Four deaths were reported last month in Gujarat after torrential rainfall from 25 June, 2018. Flooding was reported in southern areas, including the cities of Navsari, Vadodara, and Surat.
NDMA says that 29 people have died and 300 homes have been damaged or destroyed in Gujarat since the start of the monsoon this year.
At least 11 other states have been severely affected by the monsoon rain so far this year, including Manipur, Tripura, Assam, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir and Kerala.
According to the latest statistics from NDMA, a total of 511 people have lost their lives and 176 people have been injured as a result of the monsoon. Around 55,000 houses have been damaged and livelihoods severely affected, in particular agriculture where thousands of livestock have been destroyed and 81,147 hectares of farm land and crops damaged.
India’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said that so far it has saved 29 lives and evacuated more than 15,600 people across the country during this year’s monsoon season.
Social Media
Conducted an aerial survey of the flood affected areas of Gir Somnath district & instructed officials to do needful. pic.twitter.com/wDBH0jsKYS
— Vijay Rupani (@vijayrupanibjp) July 17, 2018
WATER LEVEL OF AURANGA RIVER FLOWING ABOVE DANGER WHERE RESCUE OPERATION AND SHIFTING OF PEOPLE FROM FLOOD EFFECTED AREA TO SAFE PLACE PERFORMING BY 06 Ndrf BN Gandhinagar @ KASHMIR NAGAR , DISTT- VALSAD , GUJARAT. @NDRFHQ @ndmaindia pic.twitter.com/J7BhdYnh5U
— rakesh singh joon (@comdt06ndrfgnr) July 16, 2018
Flood Summary
Locations
B - Surat
C - Amreli
D - Junagadh
E - Valsad
Magnitude
Dangs - July 16 to July 17, 2018
Navsari - July 16 to July 17, 2018
Valsad - July 16 to July 17, 2018
Auranga river, Gujarat - July 16 to July 18, 2018
According to local observers. India's CWC figures could not confirm.
Damages
Gujarat - July 15 to July 18, 2018
Gujarat - July 15 to July 18, 2018
