Heavy rains in central Gujarat, floods in low-lying area

AHMEDABAD: Heavy rains lashed central Gujarat on Friday affecting districts like Panchmahals, Kheda, Anand and Ahmedabad. 

It has been raining since Friday morning in the above-mentioned districts, officials confirmed. 

Northern Gujarat has also been hit by rainfall affecting districts like Mehsana, Aravalli and Sabarkantha.

Flooding has also been reported in low-lying areas of Godhra following heavy rainfall. 

The state government had earlier in a meeting termed the dry spell in the state as a 'worrisome' situation. 

According to figures released by the state government, Kapadvanj in Kheda district received 145 mm of rains, Godhra town of Panchmahals received 120 mm, Sanand in Ahmedabad district received 110 mm and Matar in Kheda received 104 mm rainfall.

In the northern part of the state, Kalol in Gandhinagar district received 100 mm rainfall, Malpur in Aravalli got 88 mm, Kadi in Mehsana district got 79 mm and Posina in Sabarkantha received 70 mm rainfall.

Ahmedabad city, which had so far received 150 mm of rains during the current monsoon, received 102 mm in just four hours of rain on Friday morning.

It caused low lying areas to flood which in turn led to traffic snarls and also instances of trees getting uprooted.

The Meteorological Department has predicted heavy to very heavy rains for the next three days in the state due to a well marked low-pressure area lying over the state.

Though south Gujarat and some other parts of the state had seen rains in early July, a dry spell since then had left 44 talukas in the state with less than 125 mm (5 inches) of rain till the first week of August.

During its review meeting held on August 7, due to a poor monsoon, the state government had come up with mitigating measures like increase in electricity supply by two hours to the farm sector to save standing crops, providing fodder at Rs 2 per kilogram and replenishing a dam in Kutch to maintain drinking water supply. 

(With Agency Inputs)