Gandhinagar, July 24 — Gujarat has stepped up its flood response in South Gujarat by deploying additional National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams, dispatching senior Ministers and officials to the worst-affected districts, and placing Army and Coast Guard resources on standby as exceptionally heavy rainfall continued to disrupt normal life across Valsad, Surat, Navsari and Tapi districts.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel chaired a high-level review meeting at the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) in Gandhinagar on Thursday to assess the situation arising from the heavy rainfall.
During the meeting, he held telephonic discussions with the Collectors of Surat, Valsad, Navsari and Tapi to review rescue, evacuation and relief operations, as well as the flood situation in rivers across the region.
The Chief Minister also received telephone calls from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who sought updates on the situation and assured full support from the Central government for rescue, relief, evacuation and public safety measures.
Following the review, Chief Minister Patel directed the deployment of additional NDRF and SDRF teams to strengthen rescue and evacuation operations in the affected districts.
He instructed officials to give top priority to rescuing people stranded by floodwaters and evacuating residents living in low-lying areas.
To strengthen administrative coordination on the ground, Chief Minister Patel directed the Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, Tribal Development Minister Naresh Patel, and senior Secretaries Remya Mohan and Alok Pandey to assist local administrations in the affected districts.
He also instructed In-charge Secretaries to immediately proceed to districts placed under a red alert by the India Meteorological Department.
The Chief Minister reviewed electricity supply, drinking water distribution, State Transport services and road connectivity in the rain-affected areas.
He directed officials to maintain uninterrupted essential services wherever possible and instructed the Roads and Buildings Department to restore roads damaged by overtopping, approach erosion and diversion washouts as soon as floodwaters recede.
Officials informed the meeting that the department has kept more than 3,400 dumpers, over 1,100 JCB machines and other necessary equipment ready for restoration work.
Chief Minister Patel also directed the Health Department to remain fully prepared with sanitation measures, disease prevention arrangements and adequate stocks of essential medicines to prevent disease outbreaks after floodwaters recede.
He instructed officials to ensure drinking water supply, sanitation facilities and food packets for people shifted to safer locations.
Relief Commissioner Gaurav Makwana told the meeting that southern Gujarat, particularly Valsad, Navsari, Surat and Tapi districts, had remained under a red alert since Wednesday and had experienced extremely heavy rainfall since Tuesday.
"Valsad district was the worst affected, with Umargam taluka receiving nearly 43 inches of rainfall over the past 28 hours, while Kaprada, Vapi and other parts of the district also recorded exceptionally heavy rainfall," Makwana said.
He added that NDRF and SDRF teams had been pre-positioned in the affected areas as a precaution before rainfall intensified.
As conditions worsened overnight, additional teams were mobilised and coordinated rescue operations involving district authorities, police and Aapda Mitra volunteers began immediately.
"Around 1,200 people had been rescued across the affected districts. In Surat city, nearly 1,500 people had been shifted to safer locations. In Navsari district, around 200 people stranded in 11 villages due to flooding in the Kaveri river had been rescued and relocated. There were currently no critically stranded persons in the affected districts," he said.
Makwana said the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister had instructed in-charge secretaries to immediately reach the affected districts.
Around 10 officers, including Additional Collectors, Deputy Collectors and Mamlatdar-level officers who had previously served in Valsad district, had also been deployed to strengthen relief operations.
Providing an update on transport and infrastructure, Makwana noted that more than 300 panchayat roads had been temporarily closed because of overtopping, while more than 200 State Transport bus services had been suspended.
Power supply had been disrupted at some locations, including two substations, and restoration work would begin once floodwaters recede.
"The Air Force and Coast Guard had been placed on standby. However, adverse weather conditions were currently preventing aircraft operations, and any airlifting of stranded people would be undertaken once conditions improve," he noted.
He also said the Chief Minister Patel had spoken with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who assured all necessary assistance, and had personally guided the Collectors of Valsad, Navsari and Surat from the State Emergency Operation Centre on post-flood health, sanitation and drinking water arrangements.
Makwana said no human casualties had been reported across the affected districts except for one drowning death in Tapi district.
Three NDRF and five SDRF teams were currently operating in Surat.
Valsad has two NDRF and four SDRF teams in the field, with one additional NDRF team and one SDRF team being dispatched.
Navsari currently has two SDRF teams, while one NDRF team from Surat is being moved there.
For Valsad, three NDRF teams and five SDRF teams were engaged in rescue, relief and evacuation work, while two additional NDRF teams from New Delhi were expected to arrive later on Thursday.
A contingent of 70 Army personnel equipped with five boats, along with a Fire Services team of 25 personnel, was also being deployed to assist the district administration.
NDRF and SDRF teams have additionally been kept on standby in Amreli, Junagadh and Bhavnagar, with reserve teams available elsewhere in the state for any further emergencies.