Relief to flooded Vadodara, 46% rainfall drenches Gujarat

Vadodara city in central Gujarat received nearly 500 mm rainfall in 24 hours ending 8 am on Thursday, which created a flood-like situation in the city and disrupted the normal life.

The fire brigade, Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) evacuated around 5,000 people from the city and surrounding villages using boats and tractors, and shifted them to safer places, an official press release said.

The torrential rains inundated majority of the areas and roads in the city.

While the Vadodara airport has been shut since Wednesday, several trains have also been cancelled or diverted due to heavy waterlogging on tracks.

Water of the Vishwamitri river, which passes through the Vadodara, entered low-lying areas of the city after Ajwa dam overflowed, officials said, adding that people living in these areas are being evacuated.

As per the figures provided by the state government, Vadodara city received a staggering 499 mm of rainfall in 24 hours ending 8 am on Thursday.

Out of the total blocks in the state, 238 tehsils have been received heavy rain, with 28 tehsils lashed with 4 to 8 inches of rain and 112 tehsils receiving one to four inches.

According to the SEOC data, Mahudha tehsil received 200 mm rain, Halol 189 mm, Dabhoi 187 mm, Khedbrahma 180 mm, Vadali 176 mm, Karjan 165 mm, Sankheda 162 mm, Tilakwada 147 mm, Vanthli 139 mm, Idar 126 mm, Sanand 132 mm, Umarpada 128 mm, Vaghodia 126 mm, Balasinor 122 mm and Himatnagar 118 mm.

Irrigation department official data states that out of the total 204 reservoirs in the state, two are filled hundred per cent, seven filled between 70 to 100 per cent of their capacity, 12 between 50 to 70 per cent and 38 between 25 to 50 per cent .

The Sardar Sarovar Dam is filled up to 56.30 per cent of its maxmimum capacity owing to the good downpour in the catcment area in Madhya Pradesh.

The rains have resulted in an inflow of 19,494 cusecs water at the Sardar Sarovar Dam. The Ukai Dam's inflow is the maximum at 1,09,385 cusecs received daily. The Damanganga Dam has an daily inflow of 50,218 cusecs, Karjan Dam gets 19,690 cusecs and Dharoi Dam receives 11,390 cusecs.

Of this, 286 mm downpour battered the city in just four hours between 4 pm and 8 pm on Wednesday, the release said.

On Wednesday evening, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had called a meeting to review the situation in Vadodara, and asked IAS officers Vinod Rao and Lochan Sehra to rush to the city to provide guidance to the local administration in tackling the situation.

Rupani requested people living in low-lying areas around the river to cooperate with the administration and shift to higher areas.

State Meteorological (MeT) Department Director Jayanta Sarkar said this is a record rainfall received in Vadodara city.

He said the state is likely to receive heavy rains in the next three days.