AHMEDABAD: Heavy rains marooned many residential and low-lying areas in Navsari and Valsad districts besides parts of Surat city in Gujarat today.
According to officials, 900 people have been shifted to safer places following heavy showers that have been lashing several parts of south and central Gujarat since yesterday.
Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed at ten locations in the state.
South Gujarat region, particularly Valsad, Surat and Navsari districts, have been bearing the brunt of downpour since early this morning, leading to water logging on roads and overflowing of rivers which has affected normal life.
As per the state emergency control room, parts of Saurashtra region also received heavy showers today.
State Relief Commissioner Manoj Kothari said 19 people have died in the state since June due to various rain-related accidents like lightning and electrocution.
Kothari said teams of the NDRF have been deployed at ten different locations to carry out relief and rescue operations.
"We have shifted around 900 people to safer places following incessant rains in south Gujarat during the last two days," he said.
The official said high tide had prevented the river water from flowing into sea in the region this morning.
"However, water has started receding since evening in south Gujarat," Kothari added.
In Saurashtra, heavy rainfall was recorded in Una and Kodinar talukas of Gir Somnath district.
Showers have also lashed parts of Bhavnagar and Amreli this morning.
As per the data released by the state government, Waghai taluka in Dang district today received the highest rainfall in the state at 121 mm between 8:00 am and 6 pm.
Waghai was followed by Kodinar (115 mm), Surat city (107 mm), Talaja taluka in Bhavnagar (100 mm) Bharuch taluka in Bharuch district (96 mm), Dolvan taluka in Tapi district (95 mm), Savarkundla taluka in Amreli (93 mm) and Choryasi taluka in Surat (93 mm).
Vansda, Jalalpore and Navsari talukas in Navsari district received the rainfall at 91 mm, 78 mm and 78 mm, respectively, in the ten hours today.
Dharampur and Kaprada talukas in Valsad district received rainfall at 76 mm and 68 mm, respectively, between 8 am to 6 pm.
Vadodara, Chhota Udepur and Bharuch districts in central Gujarat also received heavy showers.
Due to incessant rain, 197 roads, including a national highway and three state highways in central and south Gujarat, have been closed for traffic, a government release stated.
"Due to downpour, one national highway and two state highways passing from Dang district have been shut for traffic while one state highway was closed in Navsari this morning," it said.
The meteorological centre here has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in south and central Gujarat in the next 24 hours and "extremely heavy rainfall" in Valsad, Surat and Navsari.