NE NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, SEP 8
Several parts of Gujarat’s Saurashtra region on Wednesday received very heavy rainfall with more showers expected in the next four days. Two persons drowned in a canal in Bhavnagar, officials said.
The fresh spell of downpour that started a few days ago will help reduce the rainfall deficiency of Gujarat, they said .
The IMD has forecast widespread rainfall till Friday with heavy to very heavy rainfall in some parts of the state with isolated extremely heavy showers in some districts of Saurashtra and south Gujarat regions during the next four days.
As per the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), parts of Gir Somnath, Amreli, Rajkot and Bhavnagar districts received rainfall of over 100 mm in 12 hours till Wednesday evening.
Sutrapada and Babra talukas of Gir Somnath and Amreli districts received 138 and 130 mm rainfall, respectively, it said.
As many as 162 out of 251 talukas of Gujarat witnessed wet spell on Wednesday.
As per SEOC figures, Narmada, Surat, Navsari and Bharuch districts of south Gujarat received heavy to very heavy on Tuesday.
Despite the recent spell, Gujarat continues to remain in the red zone as a deficient state with 40 percent below normal rainfall, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its latest update.
Rainfall in the last one week has, however, helped the state reduce its deficiency by nearly 10 per cent.
As against the average rainfall of 624.8 mm (between June-September), Gujarat has so far received 374.5 mm rainfall, the IMD said.
Out of 33 districts in Gujarat, Gandhinagar and Aravalli have been categorised as having “large deficient,” or over 60 percent below normal rainfall.
Only Valsad and Devbhumi Dwarka have been categorised as having received “normal” rainfall. The remaining districts continue to be rainfall deficient.
Meanwhile, two children drowned in a canal, while their mother was rescued after their two-wheeler was swept away by strong currents while crossing an inundated road in Bhavnagar district on Wednesday, police said.
The incident took place when the woman, her 18-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter were crossing over a canal on Rajasthali road, which was flooded due to heavy rains, an official from Palitana police station said.
The two-wheeler was unable to withstand the current of water and was washed away along with the riders, he said.
While the woman was rescued by locals, the two children drowned in the canal, and a team from the fire brigade fished out their bodies after an effort of nearly two hours, he said.
In another rain-related accident, a 35-year-old man was swept away and feared drowned while crossing a causeway at Akolali village in Palitana, police said.
