Surat: The monsoon made a strong entry into south Gujarat on Sunday, bringing heavy rainfall across Surat, Tapi, Navsari, Dangs, Valsad and Bharuch districts. Rainfall ranged between two to six inches, causing widespread disruption and flooding in low-lying areas.
Between 6am and 6pm, Tapi’s Dolvan received the highest rainfall at 155 mm, followed by Palsana (133 mm), Bardoli (125 mm), and Subir (122 mm). Other areas including Vyara, Vansada, Songadh, Valod, Vaghai, Navsari, and Chikhli recorded rainfall between two and four inches.
The heavy downpour led to the closure of 207 roads across the region — 77 in Tapi, 91 in Navsari, and 39 in Surat — due to flooding and waterlogging. The Purna river crossed its danger mark of 26.89 feet at 8pm following intense rainfall in its catchment areas. In Navsari, the Ambica river rose to 26.07 feet, nearing the danger level of 28 feet, while Kaveri river in the area flowed at 15 feet, approaching its 19-foot danger mark.
According to the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), the city received approximately 144 mm (nearly six inches) of rainfall over an 18-hour period ending at 6pm. The bulk of the rain fell between midnight and 6am, resulting in waterlogging in areas like Pal, Adajan, Rander, Athwalines, Katargam, Althan and Udhna
Among the nine SMC zones, the Central Zone recorded the highest rainfall at 144 mm, followed by East Zone B
(127 mm), West Zone (120 mm), East Zone A (117 mm), and North Zone (114 mm). In addition to flooding, chemical contamination was reported along the Udhna-Navsari roads after some factories discharged untreated water into local drains. Surat mayor Dakshesh Mavani and Udhna MLA Manu Patel visited the affected sites and instructed Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) officials to take strict action against the violating units.
8 farm labourers rescued from rising Kaveri river in Navsari Eight farm labourers were rescued on Sunday from a field near the Kaveri river in Hanumanbari village of Vansda taluka, after they got stranded due to a sudden rise in the river’s water level. The labourers had gone to the field for sowing activities when the river began to swell unexpectedly, cutting off their exit route. A joint rescue operation was carried out by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Navsari district administration, and local police.