Torrential rain in Vadodara, 100 shifted to safety

Gandhinagar, July 31 (IANS) Torrential rains lashed Vadodara city and surrounding areas in central Gujarat, registering as much as 10.5 inches during the last 24 hours with most of it pouring in just four hours on Wednesday, while the rest of the state also saw heavy to very heavy showers.

More than 100 people were rescued from the swirling waters of the Vishwamitri river from Bhayli suburb in Vadodara, according to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC).

The Vadodara District Collector issued instructions to keep all municipal, government and private schools closed following the heavy rains.

Of the over 260 mm of rainfall (nearly 10.5 inch) in the central Gujarat city, about 242 mm was reported between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Wednesday and it was still raining.

The usually dry Vishwamitri river, which flows through the city, rose to the level of 23 feet, rapidly rising towards the danger levels of 26 feet, authorities said. The nearby Ajwa dam's water level also increased to 209.45 feet against its warning level of 215 feet.

The torrential downpour created water clogging in Char Darwaja, Fatehpura, Waghodia Road, Soma Lake and other parts of the city and resulting in a traffic jam, stretching a kilometre long, in the western areas of the city. Electricity lines were damaged in some areas, leading to a blackout. The fire brigade rescue teams and administration have swung into action to resolve the issues.

Karjan, Dabhoi and Waghodia tehsils of Vadodara district also witnessed heavy downpour with 93 mm, 39 mm and 39 mm respectively in the last two hours.

The National Disaster Response Force has deployed three rescue teams in the Vadodara region.

The torrential downpour also continued in the rest of the state, especially in south Gujarat with certain areas receiving more than 40 mm of rainfall in the last 12 hours.