Simultaneously, the Indian Coast Guard conducted aerial surveys and rescue operations in flood-affected Bilimora and Gandevi to locate and evacuate stranded residents.
The fury of the rain has once again exposed the vulnerability of Amreli district, where rivers overflowed and urban flooding disrupted daily life.
In Lilia town, the Nawli River burst its banks after incessant rains, sending floods to shops across the main market and forcing traders to suspend business.
Roads quickly turned into torrents as water entered commercial establishments, creating panic among residents. The situation was equally alarming in Bagasara, where relentless rainfall flooded the road connecting the Swaminarayan temple with Kunkavav, completely halting vehicular movement.
Some city streets resembled rivers as water entered homes in low-lying neighborhoods, stranding families and disrupting electricity and transportation services.
Amid dangerous conditions, a major tragedy was narrowly averted on Dadman-Mota Kankot road in Lilia region where a young motorcyclist was involved trying to cross the flooded road.
Alert residents immediately sprang into action and, after a difficult rescue, managed to pull the youngsters to safety, preventing what could have been another rain-related fatality.
Elsewhere, rescue teams have intensified search operations after two people were reportedly driven away along with their car near the Gondal-Jetpur National Highway while traveling towards Virpur in Rajkot district.
In another incident in Navsari’s Vansda, a youth identified as Vikesh Patel reportedly fell from a bridge into the swollen Cauvery river, prompting police and emergency teams to launch an extensive search operation.
The floods have also dealt a severe economic blow to Navsari’s Shantadevi area, one of the city’s prominent diamond processing centres.
With the Purna River flowing nearly 12 feet above normal, industries and business establishments have remained closed for the past two days, bringing diamond processing and allied trade activities to a complete halt and causing significant financial loss.
Meanwhile, Ahmedabad experienced widespread rainfall from around 5 am on Friday, with Chandkheda recording nearly two inches, while Gota, Memco, Naroda and the Airport area received about one and a half inches.
Although the city avoided major flooding during the morning, waterlogging was reported from several localities. Central Gujarat also came under severe stress as Mehmadabad, Matar, Vaso and Nadiad in Kheda district witnessed a virtual flood situation.
Mehmadabad recorded nearly 20 inches of rain in the past 24 hours, while Matar received about 18 inches, flooding villages and forcing the closure of several major roads.
The Kheda-Dholka highway was closed after floods inundated long stretches of the road, while the Matar-Tarapur highway also went under water, stranding motorists and forcing many to take dangerous detours through flooded areas.
In North Gujarat, the massive landslide also submerged the Bajana bridge on the Malvan-Becharaji highway, where overflowing water forced authorities to halt traffic for several hours.
Long queues of vehicles piled up on both sides as commuters waited for the water level to recede. The latest spell follows an unusually wet Thursday when more than 200 talukas across Gujarat received rainfall, with Chikhli in Navsari and Dholka in Ahmedabad recording nearly 18 inches, while Khergam and Mehmadabad received about 17 inches of rain.
These torrential rains caused widespread flooding across South Gujarat, setting the stage for one of the state’s biggest rescue operations in recent years.
With rivers flowing extremely high and reservoirs receiving constant inflows, the India Meteorological Department has warned that the situation could worsen further.
A red alert has been issued for Panchmahal, Mahisagar and Dahod, while 13 districts remain on orange alert and 10 districts under yellow alert, signaling the possibility of heavier to very heavy rainfall during the next 24 hours.
State authorities have urged residents living near rivers, low-lying areas and paved roads to avoid unnecessary travel, strictly follow evacuation advice and remain vigilant as Gujarat continues to battle one of the most widespread and intense spells of the monsoon season.
