Heavy rains batter south Gujarat, Saurashtra; Navsari, Junagadh cities worst hit

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Gujarat's south and Saurashtra regions on Saturday, triggering a flood-like situation in urban areas and isolating villages amid rising water levels in dams and rivers surging to danger levels. In Junagadh city, dozens of parked cars and cattle were swept away in gushing waters after it received 219 mm of rain in 8 hours till 4 pm on Saturday. People were seen wading through waist-deep water to shift to safer places, while some of them were rescued by volunteers as they were carried away in strong currents.Navsari and Junagadh were among the worst affected districts due to the torrential downpours that led to a deluge in several residential pockets and marketplaces.

Authorities requested people to take precautions and urged them to contact the control room in case of any untoward incident or emergency situation. People were warned to not visit dams and surrounding areas. Rescue teams were pressed into service to shift people living in low-lying areas to safer places.

In south Gujarat, heavy rains pummelled Navsari district where normal life was thrown out of gear in urban and rural areas due to flooding. Navsari and Jalalpore talukas of the district received 303 and 276 mm of rainfall, respectively, between 6 am and 4 pm, said the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC). A father-son duo was swept away in a swollen drain in Navsari city.

While the man was rescued, efforts were underway to trace the son, an official said. Over 200 mm of rainfall in a few hours on Saturday morning overwhelmed the city's drainage system, with water spilling onto roads and low-lying areas. It caused massive traffic congestion in the city, and the situation was brought under control through a coordinated effort, additional collector Ketan