Flood waters recede in Junagadh, 3,000 people shifted to safer places; IMD issues 'orange' alert for Gujarat

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

It also predicted heavy to very heavy rains at a few places with isolated extremely heavy rainfall in Devbhumi Dwarka, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Valsad districts in the next 24 hours. Junagadh city recorded 241 mm rainfall in the 24-hour period ending at 6 am on Sunday, causing waterlogging in several parts, leaving damaged cars piled on each other and carcasses of cattle swept away in flash floods, officials said. Two national highways, 10 state highways and 300 rural roads were closed in Gujarat on Saturday due to flooding, and the traffic resumed at places where water receded, they said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel regarding flood-like situation in various parts of the state due to the recent heavy rainfall. Junagadh Collector Anil Ranavasiya said, «Water has receded from the city after the rains stopped. Around 200 people were rescued and 750 shifted from low-lying areas in the city.

Another 2,220 people were shifted to safer places in rural areas adjoining the city as a proactive measure.» The effort to restore electricity was nearly completed, and food packets were being distributed to people living in shelters, he said. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and fire department were involved in restoring normalcy, Ranavasiya said. «Our main focus now is towards cleanliness in the city.

Junagadh city has around 600 cleaning staff, and we are getting another 400 from other districts. So, our focus for today is to clean the city so that normalcy is restored,» the collector said. Cranes were deputed to remove vehicles swept away and damaged due to flooding in some areas, and dewatering pumps were deployed to remove water