Gujarat CM chairs late-night rain review; Dy CM heads to flood-hit Valsad

Gandhinagar/Valsad, July 23 (IANS) Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel chaired a late-night high-level review meeting at the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) on Thursday as heavy rainfall continued to affect parts of the state, with the administration intensifying rescue, relief and monitoring efforts in the worst-hit districts of South Gujarat.

During the review, the Chief Minister received updates on the prevailing weather situation from officials of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and district Collectors from the affected areas.

IMD officials briefed him on the forecast of widespread rainfall across Gujarat over the coming days.

Patel sought detailed information on the rainfall recorded between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., with particular focus on the districts of South Gujarat as well as Dholka in Ahmedabad district, Mahemdabad in Kheda district and Mehsana.

He directed the administration to remain on high alert throughout the night and closely monitor the situation in the event of further rainfall. The Chief Minister also reviewed the status of electricity supply in the affected areas.

Officials informed the meeting that the State Emergency Operations Centre was maintaining constant contact with all districts through its hotline network to ensure continuous monitoring and coordination.

The review was told that four teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had been deployed in South Gujarat, including two in Valsad, one in Navsari and one kept on standby in Surat.

Equipped with boats and rescue equipment, the teams are assisting district authorities in rescue and relief operations.

As a precautionary measure, NDRF and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have also been positioned in districts across the Saurashtra region.

According to the state administration, 352 people were rescued in South Gujarat during the day, while more than 22,000 residents in Navsari and Valsad were shifted to safer locations as authorities responded to flooding caused by heavy rain.

Chief Secretary M. K. Das told the meeting that the state administration was fully prepared to deal with the situation and had adequate manpower, machinery and equipment in place for emergency response.

The Chief Minister also instructed officials to prioritise cleaning operations, restoration of roads and public health measures once the rainfall subsides and floodwaters recede.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi departed from Navsari for neighbouring Valsad late on Thursday night.

He is scheduled to reach the Valsad Collector’s Office at around midnight, where he is expected to immediately chair a review meeting to assess the flood situation and examine the rescue and relief operations being carried out by the district administration.

The late-night reviews by the Chief Minister at the SEOC and the Deputy Chief Minister in Valsad came as the state government stepped up monitoring and response measures amid forecasts of continued heavy rainfall across Gujarat.

–IANS

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