Title: Gujarat Rains: State pounded by Heavy Weather, Schools Shut, Serious Flooding, and Alerts Issued
Gujarat is now witnessing incessant rainfall, which has caused serious disruptions across the state. The rainfall is likely to continue for at least two to three more days, the India Meteorological Department said in the red alert issued on Tuesday. This is most likely to cause severe flooding, road closures, and closure of schools.Schools
Ahmedabad: Heavy rainfall in southern Gujarat during the weekend sent several of Valsad and Navsari districts, including hundreds of people moving. There has been no reprieve from the intense rain since it started on Saturday, seriously hitting daily activities and traffic in the two districts.
The continual rains in the last 48 hours caused low-lying areas to be inundated and rendered unusable, forcing authorities to shift people to safer areas. According to data from the State Emergency Operation Center, Vapi taluka in Valsad district received the highest rainfall in the state in a single day—326 millimeters—eending at 6 a.m. on Sunday. In the same period, Khergam in Navsari district recorded 248 millimeters of rain.
In addition to submerging houses and streets, the unceasing rain has rendered several roads impassable and stopped traffic in numerous locations. Emergency services are putting forth great effort to evacuate impacted residents, offer assistance, and bring some form of normalcy back to the area.
Authorities have asked people living in high-risk areas to stay vigilant and take the appropriate safety measures as the state prepares for additional rain in the upcoming days. As the weather is predicted to stay severe, the priority is on maintaining the safety and wellbeing of individuals residing in the most affected areas.
Close in Spite of the Persistent Rainfall
On August 27, State Education Minister Praful Pansheriya announced that all the primary schools would be shut down due to the constant rains that had hit the region. With most of the places having high-intensity floods and waterlogging, shutting down was essential to safeguarding the lives of the staff and children. All the schools in the districts of Valsad, Surat, Tapi, Navsari, and Narmada, which have been hit most by the heavy rains, have been affected by the shutting down.
The rains, which are now on their third day, have seriously damaged and disrupted things. Hundreds of residents were forced to evacuate to safer areas due to the flooding of low-lying areas. In Valsad, over 600 people were evacuated from dangerous regions amidst constant rain.
Waterlogging rendered many roads out of bounds and badly disrupted the traffic. The combination of high winds and heavy rain is particularly telling on urban areas. The winds, which clocked more than 55 km/h on Monday, are expected to pick up to 60 km/h in the next few days, making matters more complicated.
Red Alert Issued by IMD
The IMD red signal for Gujarat brought out the extreme nature of the weather. The deep depression lying over north Gujarat and south Rajasthan is likely to move west-southwest during August 28–29 and reach the northeast Arabian Sea near the coasts of Saurashtra and Kutch. This movement is likely to bring unsatisfactory weather conditions over Gujarat and adjoining coastal and maritime areas.
The fishermen have been warned to keep away from the Arabian Sea off Gujarat coast till August 30 in view of choppy waters and high currents, given the predicted weather. Indian Coast Guard has been put on high alert for protecting the safety of fishing boats at sea and sending out radio communications alerts.
Moreover, as many routes may be obstructed or flooded, people in urban areas are advised to check traffic advisories before leaving. The need to be vigilant at this time is further punctuated by a warning by the IMD that landslides may occur in some places.
Safety measures and emergency response
Contingencies have been made with the weather being as it is by the Indian Coast Guard and other emergency services in case catastrophe strikes. All of them are on high alert. Ground images taken show just how tough it gets for people wading through the flooded streets, as high gusts make matters worse.
Avoid driving if you can, especially in areas where floodwater is likely to build up.
When it gets windy, go indoors and stay well away from trees and electrical lines.
Ensure you are always equipped, in readiness for any eventualities, with food, drink, and a flashlight.
Keep power banks on ready in case of an interruption and charge your mobile gadgets. Keep a keen eye on changes in local news and weather conditions regularly
State Education Minister Praful Pansheriya said, “We are closely monitoring the situation to decide on further closures.” Safety of our kids comes first.
The Gujarati government has set up many aid camps in the most devastated districts, working in coordination with regional NGOs. Food, water, and medical assistance are being offered to the people who have been affected by these floods through these shelters. Besides, steps are being taken to ensure the safety and well-being of the most vulnerable groups of people, such as the elderly and the youth.
Other than becoming a nuisance in day-to-day life, incessant rain is more likely to create severe adverse impacts on the economy. Submerged agricultural fields are more likely to hamper crop output. Transportation problems and inundated roads have caused disruptions to various businesses, particularly small ones. The state administration is assessing the situation and building up relief operations to help out the afflicted farmers and trade owners.
Valsad resident Rajesh Patel said, “Our house was totally inundated. It was late at night when we had to go out. The local authorities responded promptly and took us to a nearby shelter, where we have been staying for the past two days.”
Although Gujarat has faced a really tough time with the monsoon earlier too, this year’s rainfall was exceptionally heavy. The state also witnessed circumstances like this again during the 2017 floods, which caused much economic loss and mass relocation.
The present dunking of the state of Gujarat is all the more of a reason to think through certain long-term mitigation measures against monsoons to come. Effective infrastructure development, efficient early warning systems, and community education in disaster preparedness are some of the measures that would, at times, further reduce the impact of such catastrophic weather happenings.
Experts have pointed out that larger trends in climate change may be linked to the increased incidence of extreme weather events such as the current heavy rainfall in Gujarat. With rising global temperatures, it can only be expected that not only is the strength of the monsoons going to increase, but so are the chances of such disastrous weather events, hereby calling for preventive measures to be taken.