Heavy monsoon rain battered Gujarat, West Bengal and Rajasthan on Friday, forcing large-scale evacuations, disrupting transport and prompting weather alerts across several districts.
Gujarat remained the worst affected, with around 38,000 people relocated and more than 350 rescued. West Bengal warned fishermen against venturing into the sea, while Rajasthan reported waterlogged fields, overflowing rivers and disrupted railway services.
Gujarat: Army, NDRF deployed as rivers overflow
Three days of incessant rain paralysed parts of Gujarat, particularly Valsad, Navsari and Surat in the south and Ahmedabad and Kheda in central Gujarat.
Relief Commissioner Gaurang Makwana said around 38,000 people had been relocated, while 352 were rescued. Nearly 2,000 people were moved to shelter homes. One death has been officially reported in Tapi district.
One rain-related death has been officially reported in Tapi district, with authorities collecting further information from affected areas.
Four NDRF teams airlifted from Odisha were deployed in Valsad and Navsari, with another kept on standby in Surat. Army columns were also sent to the affected districts, while the Coast Guard remained on alert.
Mehmedabad in Kheda recorded 507 mm of rainfall during the 24 hours ending at 6 am on Friday. Dholka in Ahmedabad received 473 mm, Chikhli in Navsari 451 mm, and Umbergaon in Valsad and Khergam in Navsari recorded 434 mm each.
As many as 35 talukas received more than 200 mm of rain.
Rivers including the Ambika, Par, Auranga and Daman Ganga were flowing above normal levels, inundating low-lying areas. In Ahmedabad, several roads became inaccessible and around a dozen underpasses were closed.
Schools and colleges were shut in affected districts, while five Mumbai-bound trains were cancelled due to waterlogging on railway tracks in south Gujarat.
The IMD issued a red alert for Mahisagar, Panchmahal and Dahod, and an orange alert for several districts in south and central Gujarat. Extreme rainfall is expected to begin easing from Monday.
Bengal: Fishermen warned as coastal districts brace for rain
An active monsoon is expected to bring heavy rain to southern West Bengal until July 27, with coastal districts likely to receive the most intense showers.
The IMD advised fishermen not to venture into the north Bay of Bengal or along the West Bengal coast until July 28.
Very heavy rain is forecast in South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur, while Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, Jhargram and Bankura are also likely to receive downpours.
Basirhat in North 24 Parganas recorded 185 mm of rainfall in 24 hours. Canning received 105 mm, Sagar Island 104 mm and Kanthi 101 mm.
Rainfall activity is expected to shift towards the sub-Himalayan districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri from July 28.
Rajasthan: Red alert in two districts, trains cancelled
Heavy rainfall inundated fields and affected road connectivity across parts of Rajasthan.
Pachpadra in Balotra and Amet in Rajsamand recorded 9 cm of rainfall each, while several areas in Udaipur, Chittorgarh and Salumbar received around 7 cm.
The Som and Mahi rivers were flowing in spate in Dungarpur, while damaged culverts and overflowing seasonal rivers disrupted access to several villages.
The IMD issued a red alert for Banswara and Dungarpur and an orange alert for nine districts, including Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Balotra and Barmer.
Three trains connecting Mumbai with Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Ajmer were cancelled due to waterlogging on the route.
