Gandhinagar, July 7 (IANS) The Gujarat government has directed all district administrations to remain on round-the-clock alert, deploy disaster response teams wherever required, and ensure the timely evacuation of residents from vulnerable areas as heavy to extremely heavy rainfall continued to affect several parts of the state over the past 24 hours.

The directions were issued during a high-level review meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi in Gandhinagar on Tuesday.

Conducted through video conference, the meeting reviewed the prevailing rainfall situation and the state’s disaster management preparedness with senior officials from districts experiencing heavy rainfall.

Sanghavi held discussions with Collectors, Superintendents of Police, District Development Officers and Municipal Commissioners from Surat, Navsari, Valsad, Bhavnagar, Dahod, Panchmahal, Mahisagar, Mehsana, Surendranagar, Ahmedabad, Amreli, Dang, Tapi, Junagadh and Gir Somnath to assess the ground situation and the response measures being undertaken.

The Deputy Chief Minister instructed all district administrations to keep their control rooms operational 24 hours a day and ensure continuous monitoring of the evolving weather situation so that any emergency can be addressed without delay.

He directed officials to immediately deploy teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) wherever necessary, particularly in low-lying and flood-prone areas.

Authorities were also instructed to evacuate residents from areas at risk of waterlogging or flooding to safer shelters in a timely manner, and to ensure the availability of food, drinking water, and medical facilities for those affected.

The meeting also reviewed the status of essential public services. Officials were instructed to continuously monitor roads, electricity supply and communication networks to minimise disruption to daily life and maintain public safety during the spell of heavy rainfall.

“The state government is continuously monitoring the situation. The safety and convenience of citizens during any disaster is the government’s highest priority. All necessary arrangements have been made to ensure that district administrations coordinate effectively and provide a swift response,” Sanghavi said during the meeting.

Meanwhile, restoration work continued in Amreli district, where heavy rainfall disrupted electricity supply in 88 villages.

According to the government, 192 teams have been deployed to restore power in the affected areas. Despite adverse weather conditions, utility personnel restored 368 of the 370 affected feeders and reinstated more than 380 electricity poles.

The government said that 30 of the 32 affected transformers in Amreli and Gir Somnath have also been brought back into operation.

As a result of the restoration work, electricity supply has been restored in more than 80 villages, while efforts continue in the remaining affected areas.

–IANS

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