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Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Friday visited the Bopal area to inspect the severe waterlogging caused by the heavy rainfall.
The Chief Minister held an on-site review meeting with officials and assessed the rainwater drainage, relief, and rescue operations. Considering the seriousness of the situation, the Chief Minister personally reached the waterlogged area, visited the affected localities, and interacted directly with residents. The Chief Minister instructed officials to accelerate the relief and rescue operations and ensure the immediate availability of the required manpower, equipment, and necessary arrangements. Earlier in the day, heavy rainfall in South Gujarat had led to waterlogging in rural areas of Surat district, with the Kim River in spate following a massive inflow of water from upstream areas. Traffic and normal life have been disrupted after the river overflowed onto roads and entered residential areas. Water from the Kim River has inundated the Gaikwadi Road connecting Kosamba to Kim in Surat's Mangrol taluka. The road has been completely closed to traffic after the river's water level rose above the danger mark. The strong current has made movement on the affected roads extremely hazardous. Floodwaters have also entered nearby housing societies and residential localities, forcing residents to remain indoors due to waterlogging outside their homes. The administration is closely monitoring the situation and has urged people to avoid going near the river or venturing into floodwaters. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had rescued 67 people, including 25 women and 22 children, from floodwaters in Sarikhurad village of Gujarat's Navsari district. According to the NDRF, the rescue operation was launched by the 6th Battalion after receiving information from the civil administration about villagers stranded due to flooding. The NDRF said rescue operations were underway. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi are continuously monitoring the flood situation. Sanghavi rushed to Navsari to assess the ground situation and directed officials to ensure there is no shortfall in rescue, relief, evacuation, and public safety measures. To strengthen relief efforts and ensure timely rescue and assistance to affected citizens, the State Government has also deployed 10 senior officers to Valsad district with immediate effect. Rescue operations in the flood-affected areas of Valsad district are underway with intensified efforts. To support the local administration, 70 Army personnel with five boats, five NDRF teams, five SDRF teams, and 25 Fire Brigade personnel have been deployed. More than 500 residents from the rural areas of Umargam, Vapi, Dharampur, and Pardi talukas have been shifted to safer locations. (ANI)
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