Gandhinagar, June 18 (IANS) In light of the heavy rainfall across parts of Gujarat, particularly in Saurashtra and South Gujarat, Water Resources Minister Kunvarji Bavaliya visited the Flood Control Cell at the State Water Data Centre in Sector-8, Gandhinagar. The visit was aimed at assessing preparedness for the ongoing monsoon and issue directives to prevent rain-related damage.

During the review meeting with senior officials, Minister Bavaliya emphasised the need for proactive coordination between departments to ensure timely alerts when water levels in local reservoirs rise due to upstream flow or local rainfall.

“When heavy rains occur, we must issue timely warnings — such as high alert, alert, or caution — and ensure they reach District Collectors and administrative units for local-level action. This is crucial to prevent loss of life and property,” he said.

The minister also reviewed updates via hotline calls with local authorities in Botad, Bhavnagar, and Rajkot districts, seeking real-time information on rainfall patterns and water levels in reservoirs. He provided specific instructions based on the local data received.

As part of Gujarat’s monsoon preparedness under the Disaster Management Plan 2025, the Flood Control Cell becomes fully operational every year from June 1 to October 1.

It functions 24×7, equipped with 12 hotlines and 14 satellite phones to collect and relay critical information from across the state. The State Water Data Centre uses advanced systems like the Reservoir Data Management System to monitor rainfall and reservoir conditions through real-time, data-driven dashboards.

A presentation highlighting the operational mechanisms of the Water Data Centre and current rainfall statistics was shown to the minister.

Senior officials, including Special Secretary of the Water Resources Department, M.D. Patel and Superintendent Engineer B.H. Joshi, were present during the visit.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘Red Alert’ for nine districts in Gujarat, including Ahmedabad, Anand, Bharuch, Surendranagar, Morbi, Porbandar, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, and Botad.

These regions are likely to witness heavy to very heavy rainfall at several locations, with isolated instances of extremely heavy downpours.

Additionally, an ‘Orange Alert’ has been sounded for a broader set of districts — Banaskantha, Patan, Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Gandhinagar, Aravalli, Kheda, Vadodara, Surat, Navsari, Valsad, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Amreli, Devbhumi Dwarka, Gir Somnath, Kutch, and Morbi — forecasting heavy to very heavy rain across many areas.

–IANS

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