IN PICS: Heavy rains disrupt normalcy in Gujarat

Heavy rains pounded the Saurashtra region in Gujarat, disrupting normal life and bringing rail and road traffic to a near halt even as over 3,000 people were shifted to safer places due to overflowing of dams, authorities said on Thursday.

While over 3,000 people have been shifted to safer places since Wednesday in the Saurashtra region, 7,700 marooned people have been shifted in the last two days in Vadodara in central Gujarat, they said.

Heavy downpour wreaked havoc in all seven districts in Saurashtra, including Rajkot, in the last 36 hours, with Rajkot alone recording over 500 mm rainfall since Tuesday evening.

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The Bhadar dam, which is the main source of drinking water to Rajkot district, is overflowing as also Aji and Nyari dams, forcing administration to issue alert in nearby towns.

"As many as one thousand people were given shelter in government-run schools last night as low-laying areas such as Jungleshwar, Popat Para, Rail Nagar submerged due to rising water levels following overflowing of Aji and Nyari dams", Rajkot Municipal Corporation Commissioner Ajay Bhadoo said.

While schools and colleges remained closed in Rajkot and Vadodara towns on Thursday, skeletal staff is present in government offices as well as in nationalised and cooperative banks.

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Due to incessant rains, the Western Railway (Rajkot division) cancelled a number of services, including ones connecting Mumbai.

"Duo to water-logging and breaches on rail tracks at some places, several long-distance trains had to be cancelled," said Western Railway (Rajkot division) public relations officer Vivek Tiwari.

Among the services that are cancelled are eight trains originating from Mumbai, two each from Ahmedabad and Rajkot, and one each from Vadodara and Bhanagar, he said.

Moderate rainfall was recorded in Amreli, Junagadh and Surendranagar districts since Tuesday evening. Khodiar dam in Amreli, Gondli near Gondal, Ozat in Junagadh were overflowing and nearly 2,000 people have been evacuated, sources from districts concerned said.

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However, no rain-related causality is reported so far, sources said.

In Vadodara, several areas such as Sanjaynaga, Parshuram Bhattha, Warrasiya, Tulsiwadi, Kamatipura, Akota, Kalali lay submerged and over 7,700 people shifted to safer places in last two days.

Though water level has started receding on Thursday with rains taking a break, Vishwamitri river which flows through the city is still flowing above danger mark at 29.6 feet, said deputy municipal commissioner C M Makwana.

"Vehicular traffic in Sama and Rapoura areas has been suspended due to rise in river water level in city," the officer said.

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While Karjan town in district recorded 175 mm of rain till 8 am, Padra and Vadodara received 135 mm and 94 mm rains, respectively, sources said.

The Baroda Milk Dairy has bought more than 1.2 lakh litres of milk from its counterparts in Banaskantha, Panchmahals, Amul, among others to ensure that there is no shortage of milk for citizens, said Ganpat Solanki, vice-chairman, Baroda Dairy.

"Several animals from Sayaji Garden located on the bank of swollen Vishwamitri river were shifted to safer places as water entered the zoo," V R Chikhaliya, director of Parks and Garden, Vadodara Municipal Corporation, told PTI.

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