AHMEDABAD: The southwest monsoon unleashed its full force across Gujarat on Monday and Tuesday, pushing several districts into crisis mode.
With forecasts warning of extremely heavy rainfall in five districts, Surat bore the brunt of the deluge as incessant rain submerged roads, stranded commuters, triggered large-scale rescue operations and left four people dead in connection with monsoon related incidents.
Two more deaths were reported in Amreli, taking the toll to six.
South Gujarat remained on high alert as rising river levels, flooding in low-lying areas and continuous rainfall raised fears of the situation worsening.
Heavy rain continued to lash Surat from early Tuesday morning after the city had already received more than five inches of rainfall on Monday.
The relentless downpour quickly overwhelmed the drainage system, leaving roads, residential societies and low-lying neighbourhoods submerged. In several parts of the city, floodwaters entered homes and streets, forcing residents to seek emergency assistance as tractors and boats were pressed into service to rescue stranded people.
The rainfall figures reflected the severity of the situation. Between 6 am and 2 pm, rain was recorded in 141 talukas across Gujarat.
Kamrej in Surat district received the highest rainfall at 8.5 inches, followed by Surat city with 7 inches and Palsana with 6 inches, making Surat district the epicentre of the state's monsoon onslaught.
The worsening weather also brought tragedy.
In one of the deadliest incidents, two young men died after being electrocuted in Surat's Rander area on Tuesday.
According to officials, one of them came into contact with an iron ladder after bathing in the rain and suffered an electric shock. His friend and neighbour rushed to rescue him but was also electrocuted. Both were taken to hospital, where doctors declared them dead.
Earlier in the day, heavy rain had already claimed two more lives in the city. A girl died after being electrocuted, while a woman was killed by lightning during the intense thunderstorm, highlighting the deadly risks accompanying the ongoing monsoon.
As floodwaters continued to rise, a potentially disastrous situation was averted through a timely rescue operation near Vraj Chowk.
At around 11.50 am, a GSRTC bus travelling from Khambhat to Surat became stranded in deep water near the Sahara Darwaja underpass. The bus was carrying 28 passengers, along with driver Mukeshbhai Rawat and conductor Ilyasbhai Hussainbhai Syed.
After receiving the distress call, firefighters from the Sarthana Fire Station rushed to the spot and immediately launched a rescue operation.
With the assistance of a local tractor, the rescue team swiftly evacuated all 28 passengers one by one within about 25 minutes, ensuring that everyone escaped unharmed despite rapidly rising floodwaters.
With rainfall continuing unabated, the administration moved quickly to minimise risks. All primary, secondary and higher secondary schools, along with Anganwadi centres under the Surat Municipal Corporation and in municipal areas of the district, were ordered to remain closed as a precautionary measure.
Speaking to the media, Surat Collector Tejash Parmar said the district administration had activated its full emergency response mechanism.
"All schools and Anganwadi centres under Surat Municipal Corporation and every municipal area of the district have been ordered to remain closed. Alerts have been issued to all Mamlatdar and Taluka Panchayat offices. Control rooms are functioning round the clock and officials are continuously monitoring the situation," Parmar said.
"At present, the Tapi River remains within safe limits and there is no dangerous situation. Citizens should not panic. As a precaution, even the scheduled board meeting at the Collector's office has been cancelled," he added.
Even as Surat battled flooding, neighbouring Navsari also remained under pressure. The district recorded an average rainfall of 70 mm, or around 2.7 inches, since early morning amid a red alert.
Anticipating further heavy showers, the district administration directed all senior and junior officers to remain at their headquarters while launching round-the-clock monitoring of the Purna, Ambika and Kaveri rivers. SDRF teams have been deployed, while constant coordination is being maintained with the NDRF to tackle any emergency.
The monsoon's impact extended beyond South Gujarat into Saurashtra, where Amreli district witnessed extensive flooding across several talukas, including Dhari, Khambha, Rajula and Jafrabad.
A virtual review meeting chaired by District In-charge and Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani assessed the evolving situation. Minister of State for Energy Kaushik Vekaria, local MLAs, District Collector Vipak Bhardwaj and senior officials also participated.
Rescue agencies remained active throughout the district. NDRF and Fire Department teams evacuated seven people from Bawadi village in Liliya, 10 people from Mithapur-Chalala in Dhari and 12 residents from Kathivadar, shifting them to safer locations before floodwaters intensified.
Despite these efforts, the damage in Amreli continued to mount.
Officials confirmed two human deaths, four livestock deaths and damage to 12 thatched houses due to the rain-related disaster.
Infrastructure also suffered significant damage, with 12 roads initially rendered inaccessible. While six roads have since reopened, six key routes, including Katar-Kotadi Road, Chalala-Charkha Road and the Shetrunji Bridge route, remain closed as 10 repair teams work to restore connectivity.
Meanwhile, the impact of heavy rainfall was also visible in Bhavnagar district, where rising inflows into the Shetrunji Dam forced authorities to open all 59 gates by six inches to safely release excess water, underscoring the pressure on reservoirs across the state.
With heavy rain forecast to continue over the next several hours, disaster response agencies remain on high alert across Gujarat.
Rescue teams, district administrations and emergency services have intensified surveillance as rivers continue to swell and waterlogging persists, while authorities have urged citizens to avoid unnecessary travel and strictly follow official advisories until the weather situation improves.