Life Comes to a Standstill as Heavy Rains Pound Gujarat's Navsari, Valsad; State Remains on Alert

Heavy downpour in several areas of Gujarat has brought life to a standstill. While residents of low-lying areas have been shifted to safer places, those stranded at home because of waterlogging have been provided with relief material.

However, any relief from rain is a distant thought, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Navsari and Valsad districts, among other parts of the state, are the worst-affected. Areas in these districts are facing flood-like conditions and thousands of people have been relocated. Schools and colleges have been shut and converted into temporary shelters for affected people.

A CNN-News18 team visited the waterlogged Hidayat Nagar and Rangoon Nagar areas of Navsari district to take stock of the situation. To add to the woes, the Purna River is in spate and has added to the destruction. One person also drowned in the Rangoon Nagar area.

“We were asked to leave our houses before this waterlogging. I have left all my belongings there, and my small cat is also there. I am worried about my belongings and my cat. I don’t know what will happen now,” said Parvati, a resident of the Hidayat Nagar area who was shifted to a school in Tata Nagar.

While children at Rangoon Nagar were seen enjoying the waterlogging, their parents were worried about their livelihood. A resident, Sharif, said: “Rain is something we see every year but these flood-like conditions and this destruction is not a routine affair. It will affect us for months now.”

Several people were evacuated from Kashmir Nagar and Barudiyavad on Wednesday night. Lying at the bank of River Auranga in Valsad, these places have been seeing flood-like conditions. After the district administration issued an alert, people were asked to go to safer places. Around 255mm rainfall, highest in all Talukas, was observed in Kaprada Taluka of district on Wednesday.

In regions like Navsari, Valsad, and Surat, the rain intensity is expected to reduce from July 15 and the Red Alert has been converted into an Orange one. Junagarh, Porbandar, and Bhavnagar are on Red Alert for Friday too.

“We have been monitoring the situation and updating the information. Rain activities will continue in the region for the next three days. In areas like Valsad and Navsari, rain intensity will be reduced, but heavy rain can be observed at isolated places,” said an IMD official.

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