29 august 2024 : A crocodile was spotted over the roof of a house in Gujarat‘s Vadodara as the state continued to reel under floods after extremely heavy rainfall. The video of the incident has gone viral.
At least 28 people have died and thousands displaced in the floods.
Several low-lying areas in parts of Vadodara grappled under heavy flooding after the Vishwamitri River breached its banks and entered residential.
A rescue team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and state teams rescued people stranded in their homes and rooftops around Vadodara city, officials told news agency PTI. Three columns from the Indian army were also deployed for the purpose.
State minister Rushikesh Patel said that over 5,000 people were evacuated and another 1,200 were rescued from the city on Wednesday.
Chief minister Bhupendra Patel has instructed the officials to deploy cleaning equipment and spray disinfectants in Vadodara city, as soon as the flood waters begin receding. Additional teams from municipal corporations of Ahmedabad and Surat, and municipalities of Bharuch and Anand have also been approached for deployment in the city.
Rains in Gujarat
According to the IMD, extremely heavy showers are expected in 12 districts – Kachchh, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Morbi, Surendranagar, Rajkot, Porbandar, Junagarh, Gir Somnath, Amreli, Bhavnagar, and Botad.
In the latest spell of rain, the state has received 105 percent of its average annual rainfall within a few days. State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) said several districts in the Saurashtra region, especially Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Porbandar, and Rajkot, experienced very heavy rainfall.
Khambhalia taluka of Devbhumi Dwarka district got 454 mm rainfall, followed by Jamnagar city (387 mm), and Jamjodhpur taluka in Jamnagar (329 mm) in the 24 hours till 6 am on Wednesday. 251 taluks in the state recorded more than 200 mm of rainfall, while another 39 taluks received over 100 mm during the same period.
According to an official release, 140 reservoirs and dams, and 24 rivers in the state are flowing above the danger marks, while 122 out of 206 dams are under high alert.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephone conversation with Bhupendra Patel and assured him of all possible support and assistance from the Central government. “The Prime Minister provided guidance on the protection of lives and livestock of citizens. Also, Gujarat was assured of providing all necessary support and assistance from the Central Government,” the CM said.