Gujarat is preparing for another spell of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing red and orange alerts for several districts over the next three days.
As a precautionary measure, schools and colleges in Ahmedabad and the central Gujarat districts of Vadodara, Anand and Kheda will remain closed on Friday, July 31. Authorities have also stepped up disaster preparedness, cancelled leave for government officials in 13 rain-affected districts and kept emergency response teams ready.
The administration has warned people to avoid unnecessary travel and take precautions against strong winds, flooding, waterlogging and unsafe structures.
13 Gujarat Districts Under Red Alert on July 31
The IMD has placed 13 districts under a red alert for July 31. These include Ahmedabad, Anand, Vadodara, Narmada, Chhota Udepur, Bharuch, Surat, Tapi, Dang, Navsari, Valsad, Bhavnagar and Botad.
The weather department has warned of extremely heavy rain in several areas, along with thunderstorms, lightning and squally winds.
Seven districts — Gandhinagar, Kheda, Panchmahal, Dahod, Surendranagar, Rajkot and Amreli — are under an orange alert.
Another 14 districts, including Banaskantha, Vav-Tharad, Patan, Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Aravalli, Mahisagar, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Junagadh, Morbi, Dwarka, Gir Somnath and Kutch, are under a yellow alert.
The IMD has also forecast light to moderate rain across the state, along with thunderstorms, lightning and surface winds moving at around 30-40 kmph.
Red Alert Continues in Some Areas on August 1
The weather situation is expected to continue into August 1.
Ahmedabad, Anand, Surendranagar and Rajkot will remain under a red alert for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall.
Twelve districts — Banaskantha, Vav-Tharad, Patan, Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Gandhinagar, Aravalli, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Morbi, Botad and Kutch — will be under an orange alert.
A yellow alert has been issued for Kheda, Panchmahal, Mahisagar, Vadodara, Surat, Navsari, Valsad, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Junagadh, Amreli, Dwarka and Gir Somnath.
For August 2, the IMD has forecast heavy rain in Banaskantha, Vav-Tharad, Patan, Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Surendranagar, Morbi and Kutch, where a yellow alert has been issued.
Schools and Colleges Closed in Four Districts
In view of the red alert and the forecast of heavy rain with high-velocity winds, authorities have ordered educational institutions to remain closed in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Anand and Kheda.
District Education Officers in Ahmedabad East, Ahmedabad West and Ahmedabad Rural issued closure orders following directions from the Ahmedabad Collector under emergency powers.
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has also announced that all anganwadis will remain closed until August 3.
In Vadodara, District Magistrate Anil Dhameliya ordered the closure of anganwadis, primary and secondary schools, higher secondary schools, ITIs and colleges across all talukas, including urban Vadodara. The decision was taken in view of the IMD’s red alert for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall and the need to prevent any untoward incident.
In Kheda, District Magistrate N V Upadhyay ordered all anganwadis, government and private schools, higher secondary schools, ITIs, colleges and other educational institutions to remain closed on July 31 and August 1. The order covers both rural and urban areas of the district.
The decision followed an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rain, thunderstorms and squally winds expected between July 31 and August 1.
Anand district authorities have also issued similar closure directions for educational institutions after the IMD forecast heavy to extremely heavy rain.
Government Officials’ Leave Cancelled in 13 Districts
The Gujarat government has placed its administrative machinery on high alert as the state prepares for the heavy rainfall spell.
The leave of all government officials in 13 rain-affected districts has been cancelled with immediate effect.
The decision was taken during a review meeting at the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) in Gandhinagar on Thursday. The meeting was chaired by Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue Department Jayanti Ravi.
The 13 districts under the high alert include Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Bharuch, Anand, Narmada, Tapi, Dang, Chhota Udepur, Panchmahal, Dahod and Mahisagar, along with surrounding areas.
Jayanti Ravi reviewed the situation and disaster preparedness with senior officials from the districts expected to be affected by the rainfall.
Each district has been directed to keep its control room operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week. One Class I officer will also be deployed round the clock to supervise the situation.
The government has directed officials to immediately deploy National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams wherever needed, particularly in low-lying and vulnerable areas.
In case the situation becomes extremely critical, the Air Force, Army and Navy have also been kept on standby for relief and rescue operations.
Authorities Take Steps to Prevent Accidents
The government has directed officials to remove dangerous hoardings, banners and signboards across the state and ensure that vulnerable structures are secured.
Relief Commissioner Gaurang Makwana said the entire government machinery has been placed in “Alert Mode”.
Officials have also been asked to take necessary safety measures around old and damaged buildings and other unsafe structures that could pose a danger during strong winds or storm-like weather.
Citizens have been advised not to leave their homes unless it is absolutely necessary.
District Collectors have been given the authority to take decisions on school and anganwadi closures depending on the local rainfall situation.
Authorities have also been instructed to evacuate people living in flood-prone and waterlogged areas in a timely and safe manner. Designated relief shelters are being prepared with food, safe drinking water and essential medical facilities.
District Collectors have also been asked to regularly provide updates to the media so that citizens receive accurate information about the rainfall situation and government response.
Surat Begins Evacuation From Low-Lying Areas
In Surat, the district and city administrations have started evacuating people living in low-lying areas as a precaution.
Surat Municipal Commissioner M Nagarajan said the civic body was checking the strength of hoardings in view of the forecast of high-velocity winds.
The municipal corporation has also started lowering the levels of high-mast street lights and closing certain roads as part of its safety measures.
The commissioner appealed to residents to remain alert about unstable structures around their homes. People have also been advised to stay safe around solar panels and prune large trees that could become dangerous during strong winds.
Teams of the SDRF and NDRF have been kept ready for emergency operations.
Surat District Collector Tejas Parmar said local bodies had been instructed to remove hoardings in rural areas.
He also appealed to cattle herders to keep their livestock untethered and not tie them to poles, allowing the animals to move to safer places on their own if needed.
Anand Identifies 39 Villages for Close Monitoring
The administration in Anand district has placed its emergency machinery on red alert following the forecast of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall.
Officials are also keeping a close watch on the upper catchment areas of the Mahi river, where further heavy rainfall is expected.
The Anand Collector held a review meeting with disaster management teams and identified 39 villages for focused monitoring.
Of these, 26 villages are located along the Mahi river and 13 are along the Sabarmati river.
Warning sirens in these areas were tested on Wednesday evening as part of the preparedness measures.
People living in low-lying areas of Anand have been advised to prepare in advance. Shelters are being readied, while residents have been warned to stay away from leaning trees, hoardings, unstable structures and waterbodies during strong winds and heavy rain.
Similar precautions have also been advised for residents of Dahod district.
Police Action Possible for Violating Closure Orders
The closure orders issued by district administrations carry penal consequences.
Police have been authorised to file complaints against people who violate the orders by disobeying directions formally issued by a public servant.
The administration has urged citizens to cooperate with officials and follow safety instructions during the period of heavy rainfall.
With multiple districts facing red and orange alerts, the Gujarat government and district administrations are maintaining round-the-clock monitoring and keeping rescue teams ready to respond to any emergency.
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