Gujarat floods: IAF, Navy, NDRF called in for rescue operations in Rajkot, Jamnagar

New Delhi: A team of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Indian Navy and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were called in for rescue operations in Gujarat’s flood-hit districts of Rajkot and Jamnagar. The officials on Tuesday (September 14, 2021) informed that over 200 people stranded in the floodwaters were rescued and more than 7,000 people have been shifted to safer places in the two districts.

The IAF helicopters rescued 22 people stranded at some locations in Jamnagar, officials said, adding that 150 people in all were rescued across the district.

The IAF also rescued seven villagers in Rajkot, while a total of 56 people were rescued all over the district, officials said.

“A Navy team was helping in the operation to search for two persons who are missing after their car got washed away in a strong water current in Rajkot on Monday,” Collector Arun Mahesh Babu said.

Teams of the Navy and the Coast Guard also assisted the Jamnagar administration in rescuing 150 to 160 people within the city limits as local rescue teams were unable to reach there due to the surge in water level, Jamnagar Collector Sourabh Pardhi said.

As per the latest reports, a national highway in Jamnagar and 18 state highways passing through Rajkot, Jamnagar and Junagadh districts of the Saurashtra region were closed due to flooding, while many villages were cut off as several roads connecting them were inundated.

A bridge over river Fofal has also reportedly collapsed and has forced the closure of a road connecting Jam Kandorna and Gondal in the Rajkot district.

Rajkot’s Lodhika taluka received the maximum rainfall of 516 mm in the state during the 24-hour period ending at 6 am on Tuesday, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said in an update.

Visavadar taluka in Junagadh district of Saurashtra received the second-highest downpour at 468 mm, while Kalavad in Jamnagar recorded 406 mm rain, Rajkot taluka-325 mm and Dhoraji in Rajkot-250 mm, the SEOC said.

On Tuesday, Mangrol taluka of Junagadh district received 151 mm rainfall in just four hours since 6 am, while Keshod taluka in Junagadh received 108 mm rainfall during the same period, the SEOC said.

During the 24-hour period ending at 6 am on Tuesday, 35 talukas received over 100 mm rainfall, mainly in Rajkot, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Porbandar, Gir Somnath and Devbhumi Dwarka in Saurashtra region, as well as in south Gujarat’s Valsad and Navsari districts, the SEOC said.

Gujarat has so far this monsoon season received 69.24 per cent of the average rainfall, and the downpour this month has helped the state narrow its rain deficiency.

(With agency inputs)