Botad (Gujarat) [India], June 17 : The gates of the Khambhada Dam in Botad district of Gujarat were opened on Tuesday due to a significant rise in water levels following incessant rainfall, exacerbating severe waterlogging across the region.
The downpour has led to the closure of Gadgda Road near the Botad Circle and the flooding of urban and rural areas in Gadhada, prompting extensive rescue operations and the relocation of residents and their farm animals to safety.
The situation in Botad is part of a broader weather crisis affecting Gujarat, with Amreli district also experiencing severe impacts.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Barwala, Sanjay Chaudhari, said that the district received 7.5 inches of rainfall in the last 24 hours, leading to the evacuation of 40 people downstream to a shelter home, along with a few from Ranpur tehsil.
"In the last 24 hours, we have received 7.5 inches of rainfall. 40 people living downstream have been shifted to a shelter home. A few people from Ranpur tehsil have also been shifted. There have been no casualties until now. We are in constant touch with the public. Teams of doctors have been deployed for ailing people and pregnant women," Chaudhari stated.
In Amreli, District Magistrate Ajay Dahiya highlighted the scale of the crisis, noting that rural areas are flooded due to heavy rainfall, prompting multiple rescue operations, including IAF helicopter and Coast Guard assistance.
He noted that three dams overflowed on Monday, which increased to five today, necessitating alerts and evacuation preparations.
"Amreli has received heavy rainfall, due to which rural areas are flooded. 2-3 major rescue operations were carried out, like a private bus with 6 people on board got stuck on the border of Amreli and Bhavnagar. I immediately informed the State Emergency Operations about the incident, and an IAF helicopter took off for rescue... All 6 people were rescued. Similarly, 24 labourers from a work site in Rajula were rescued with the help of the Indian Coast Guard. Apart from this, rescue operations have been carried out in eight different places... Yesterday 3 dams overflowed in Amreli and we immediately alerted the villages. 5 dams are overflowing today and if it increases, we will prepare for evacuation apart from the issuing alert in the downstream villages... We appeal to people to avoid driving in places where water is overflowing, even in walking in farm areas to prevent lightning strikes," Dahiya said.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department today issued a red alert with extremely heavy rainfall (>20 cm) lashing across the state of Gujarat in the next 24 hours.