Ahmedabad, June 20 (IANS) With the Southwest monsoon making a strong onset over Gujarat, heavy rains battered several parts of the state in the last 24 hours, officials said on Friday.

According to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), 101 talukas recorded rainfall, with 30 witnessing downpours ranging from 1 to 7 inches.

Vapi in Valsad district received the highest rainfall at seven inches, followed by Pardi with 5.25 inches and Kaprada with 5 inches.

The downpour triggered flash floods and waterlogging, forcing evacuation and rescue operations across southern and central Gujarat.

As of now, more than 1,060 people have been relocated across four districts in Gujarat.

Rescue teams helped evacuate 189 individuals stranded due to rising water levels.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Valsad, Dang and Navsari districts, and an orange alert for Dahod, Mahisagar, Bharuch, Surat and Tapi on Friday.

A total of 33 teams — 13 from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 20 from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) — have been deployed in the rain-hit regions.

Rescue operations over the last 24 hours included the evacuation of 89 people in Bhavnagar, 69 in Amreli, 24 in Botad, and seven in Gandhinagar.

Evacuation numbers also rose, with 729 people moved from Bhavnagar, 117 each from Surendranagar and Botad, and 80 from Amreli.

As of Thursday afternoon, four state highways and one national highway — mostly in Bhavnagar and Anand — remained closed due to inundation.

In total, 196 roads are shut for vehicular traffic, including 60 in Bhavnagar and 49 in Valsad.

Besides Vapi, parts of Umargam (Valsad) and Khergam (Navsari) received four inches of rain.

Hansot and Valia in Bharuch, Olpad in Surat, and Waghai in Dang recorded more than three inches of rainfall.

Meanwhile, seven talukas received more than 2 inches, 12 talukas reported more than 1 inch, and 72 talukas recorded less than one inch of rainfall.

Gujarat’s 206 reservoirs currently hold 41 per cent of their total storage capacity.

Of these, 15 are on high alert, 10 on alert, and nine under warning status.

Notably, nine reservoirs have already reached full capacity. These include Dhatrawadi and Surajwadi (Amreli), Rojki and Bagad (Bhavnagar), Bhimdad (Botad), and Vanskhal, Limbhogavo, Saburi, and Dholi Dhaja in Surendranagar.

As rainfall activity intensifies, authorities continue to monitor vulnerable regions closely, urging residents to stay alert and avoid low-lying areas.

–IANS

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