AHMEDABAD: The monsoon's fury has shifted dramatically towards North Gujarat on Friday, with torrential rainfall inundating Banaskantha and Patan districts within hours even as South Gujarat continues to grapple with devastating flood-like situations.
The fresh spell has compounded Gujarat's flood emergency, where thousands remain displaced, highways have been cut off, rescue operations are continuing, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall across large parts of the state.
The most intense spell was recorded in Deodar taluka of Banaskantha, where nearly six inches of rain lashed the region between 6 am and 10 am on July 24, including more than three inches in just two hours.
The cloudburst-like downpour rapidly flooded roads, fields and low-lying areas, bringing normal life to a standstill. The rainfall belt extended across North Gujarat, with Bhabhar receiving five inches, while Radhanpur and Santalpur in Patan district recorded around three inches each.
Heavy showers also drenched Dhansura in Aravalli and Lilia in Amreli, indicating that the monsoon has now spread its most intense activity across multiple regions simultaneously.
While North Gujarat witnessed fresh flooding, South Gujarat continued to reel under the aftermath of the previous two days' relentless rain.
Official figures showed that over 38,653 people have been evacuated to safer locations, while 5,547 stranded residents have been rescued from flood-hit areas.
Navsari alone has shifted nearly 10,000 people, while around 12,000 residents have been relocated in Valsad, reflecting the scale of the humanitarian response.
To strengthen rescue efforts, 49 teams of the NDRF and SDRF have been deployed across Gujarat, while the Indian Army has stationed six teams, with two each in Ahmedabad, Navsari and Valsad.
Simultaneously, the Indian Coast Guard carried out aerial surveys and rescue operations in flood-affected Bilimora and Gandevi to locate and evacuate stranded residents.
The rain fury has once again exposed the vulnerability of Amreli district, where rivers overflowed, and urban flooding disrupted daily life.
In Lilia town, the Nawli River breached its banks after incessant rainfall, sending floodwaters into shops across the main market and forcing traders to suspend business.
Streets quickly turned into streams as water entered commercial establishments, creating panic among residents. The situation was equally alarming in Bagasara, where relentless rainfall submerged the road connecting the Swaminarayan Temple to Kunkavav, completely halting vehicular movement.
Several city roads resembled rivers, while water entered houses in low-lying neighbourhoods, leaving families stranded and disrupting electricity and transport services.
Amid the dangerous conditions, a major tragedy was narrowly averted on the Dadman-Mota Kankot causeway in the Lilia region, where a young motorcyclist was swept away while attempting to cross the flooded road.
Alert residents immediately rushed into action and, after a difficult rescue, managed to pull the youth to safety, preventing what could have been another rain-related fatality.
Elsewhere, rescue teams have intensified search operations after two persons were reportedly swept away along with their car near the Gondal-Jetpur National Highway while travelling towards Virpur in Rajkot district.
In another incident in Navsari's Vansda, a youth identified as Vikesh Patel reportedly fell from a bridge into the swollen Cauvery River, prompting police and emergency teams to launch an extensive search operation.
Floodwaters have also delivered a severe economic blow to Navsari's Shantadevi area, one of the city's prominent diamond processing hubs.
With the Purna River flowing nearly 12 feet above normal, industries and business establishments have remained shut for the past two days, bringing diamond processing and allied commercial activities to a complete halt and causing significant financial losses.
Meanwhile, Ahmedabad experienced widespread rainfall from around 5 am on Friday, with Chandkheda recording nearly two inches, while Gota, Memco, Naroda and the Airport area received around one-and-a-half inches.
Although the city avoided major flooding during the morning spell, waterlogging was reported from several localities. Central Gujarat too remained under severe stress as Mehmadabad, Matar, Vaso and Nadiad in Kheda district witnessed a virtual flood situation.
Mehmadabad recorded nearly 20 inches of rain in the past 24 hours, while Matar received around 18 inches, inundating villages and forcing the closure of several major roads.
The Kheda-Dholka Highway was shut after floodwaters submerged long stretches of the road, while the Matar-Tarapur Highway also went underwater, leaving motorists stranded and forcing many to take dangerous detours through flooded stretches.
In North Gujarat, heavy runoff also submerged the Bajana Bridge on the Malvan-Becharaji Highway, where overflowing water forced authorities to stop traffic for several hours.
Long queues of vehicles accumulated on both sides as commuters waited for water levels to recede. The latest spell follows an exceptionally wet Thursday when more than 200 talukas across Gujarat received rainfall, with Chikhli in Navsari and Dholka in Ahmedabad recording nearly 18 inches, while Khergam and Mehmadabad received around 17 inches of rainfall.
Those torrential showers triggered widespread flooding across South Gujarat, setting the stage for one of the state's largest rescue operations in recent years.
With rivers running dangerously high and reservoirs receiving continuous inflows, the India Meteorological Department has warned that the situation may worsen further.
A red alert has been issued for Panchmahal, Mahisagar and Dahod, while 13 districts remain under orange alert and 10 districts under yellow alert, signalling the likelihood of more heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours.
State authorities have appealed to residents living near rivers, low-lying areas and causeways to avoid unnecessary travel, strictly follow evacuation advisories and remain alert as Gujarat continues to battle one of the season's most widespread and intense monsoon spells.
