Gujarat: Over 4,290 evacuated in Surat; roads reopen and flood damage surveys underway

Navsari/Surat, July 24 (AHN) Rescue and relief operations continued across several districts of Gujarat on Friday as authorities evacuated thousands of people, carried out multiple rescue missions in flood-hit areas and began damage assessment in affected villages following heavy rainfall.

In Surat district, a total of 4,290 affected people were shifted to safer locations, while rescue teams saved 228 people.

Of those relocated, 3,290 were from rural areas, where 152 people were rescued, while 1,631 people were moved to safety within the Surat Municipal Corporation area and 76 people were rescued.

Navsari district witnessed several rescue operations during the day. In one operation, the district administration and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) jointly rescued nine people who had become stranded in floodwaters near the Railway Office on Bandar Road.

The operation lasted around two hours and concluded at 2:40 p.m. Those rescued were identified as Umar Singh, 30; Vipin Kumar, 25; Bablu, 28; Ashwani Kumar, 22; Navneet, 28; Vikas Chand, 21; Sanjay Kumar, 45; Jitender Kumar, 36; and Pavnesh, 18.

A second phase of rescue operations in Mendhar village of Navsari was also completed. The Indian Coast Guard used two helicopters to airlift 30 people, including a young child, to safety. Disaster response teams were subsequently deployed to rescue the remaining six stranded people.

According to the latest official update, a total of 170 people had been successfully rescued from the village.

In another incident in Navsari district, eight people trapped at a solar power plant in Tavdi village of Jalalpore taluka were rescued by teams from the Jalalpore Mamlatdar's office and the Navsari Municipal Corporation Fire Brigade.

Those rescued included three men, two women and three children.

As emergency operations continued, authorities also moved into the recovery phase in some areas. In Chikhli taluka of Navsari district, teams from the Mamlatdar's office, Taluka Panchayat and various government departments began village-level surveys to assess losses caused by heavy rainfall and flooding.

The survey covers damage to residential houses, crops, livestock, shops and other properties.

Officials said the assessment is intended to facilitate prompt financial assistance to eligible affected families in accordance with government norms, with relief to be distributed following transparent and accurate verification.

Infrastructure restoration also progressed in several districts. In Surat district, the road near Khat Bangli Chowki on the Umarpada-Mandvi Road, which had been blocked after a large Umra tree fell, was reopened after clearance operations.

In Valsad district, the Roads and Buildings Department of the District Panchayat began restoration work on roads affected by the rains. Of the 446 roads that had been closed, 223 had been reopened for vehicular traffic after repair and clearance work.

Municipal authorities also focused on post-flood sanitation measures. In Vadodara, the Municipal Corporation deployed teams and machinery to remove mud, slush and accumulated rainwater to maintain traffic movement and reduce the risk of disease outbreaks, while appealing to residents to cooperate with the clean-up efforts.

Similar sanitation drives were launched in Bharuch city, where municipal workers began cleaning affected localities, removing waste and spraying disinfectants as part of measures to prevent the spread of diseases after flooding.

Health teams in Bharuch district also intensified preventive measures. In Netrang, medical staff conducted door-to-door visits in flood-affected areas to screen residents for symptoms including fever, cough and cold following the receding floodwaters.

ORS packets and chlorine tablets were distributed, drinking water wells were chlorinated, and health and hygiene awareness programmes were conducted for residents and schoolchildren to reduce the risk of water-borne and vector-borne diseases.

The district's Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) teams also provided emergency assistance to pregnant women in Sarangpur, Dadhal and Kosamdi villages.

Women nearing delivery were attended to at their locations before being transported safely to hospitals in 108 ambulances for timely medical care.

In Ahmedabad, the Fire Department rescued 11 people from flood-affected Rabarivas in the Chharanagar area of Sabarmati. Officials said the operation required special care because older adults were among those rescued.

After ensuring their immediate safety, all those rescued were shifted to relatives' homes or other safe locations.

Separately, the Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Ltd (PGVCL) issued a clarification regarding reports of a damaged electricity pole in Jalila village of Ranpur taluka in Botad district.

The utility said the pole was damaged after the collapse of an old balcony, not due to any failure of the electricity infrastructure.

Officials said a complaint was received at the Ranpur Customer Care Centre in the morning, safety measures were immediately taken, the damaged low-tension pole was replaced with a new PSC pole, and electricity supply was restored successfully at 2 p.m. despite continuing rain and strong winds.