Scooter swept away in western India’s floods after heavy rainfalls
by Aditi VermaA scooter was swept away by severe floods in western India’s Gujarat following intense rainfall on Monday, with Bharuch City receiving 120 mm of rain within just two hours. The relentless downpour has led to significant flooding, prompting widespread emergency responses and relief efforts across the state.
The incident took place in Bharuch district on September 2.
Visuals showed in the residential and market areas, continuous heavy rain led to significant waterlogging and a severe flood situation. Among the striking scenes, a black scooter was seen being swept away by the strong, fast-moving floodwaters. The water level rose rapidly, inundating streets and properties. The flow of water was strong and fast-moving, with water levels reaching considerable heights, submerging vehicles, and impacting homes and businesses.
Heavy rains returned to Gujarat on Monday, bringing significant downpours to various parts of the state after a two-day pause. Bharuch city recorded 120 mm of rainfall between 4 pm and 6 pm, according to officials. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a forecast for widespread rain across Gujarat this week, warning of ‘heavy to very heavy’ rain in isolated places in Chhota Udepur, Narmada, and Surat districts until Wednesday morning.
During the day, South Gujarat districts, including Bharuch, Tapi, Dangs, and Navsari, received significant rainfall, with Songadh and Vyara talukas in Tapi district and Waghai in Dangs receiving over 200 mm in a 12-hour period ending at 6 pm. Purna and Ambika rivers in Navsari district were reported to be flowing above the danger mark, and a high alert was issued. A total of 10 rivers and 132 reservoirs are currently flowing above the danger mark in the state.
The heavy rains are attributed to cyclone ‘Asna,’ which formed off the coast of Kutch on Friday and has since moved further south-southwestwards into the Arabian Sea, weakening into a depression on Monday.
The state’s water management is under strain, with 132 reservoirs on high alert and 10 rivers overflowing. The water in the state’s 206 reservoirs is currently at 79 percent of their total capacity.
Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi, visited Vadodara to oversee relief and restoration efforts following last week’s flooding. “A total of 20,000 people were evacuated from flooded localities, and 6,330 were rescued in Vadodara over the past few days. With flood water receding, health surveillance is being conducted door-to-door to prevent outbreaks of vector-borne diseases,” an official stated.
The state government has provided Rs 1.76 crore in financial aid to 64,360 affected individuals in Vadodara city, with an additional Rs 56 lakh allocated for 84,970 people in rural areas. Additionally, Rs 2.44 crore was distributed to 9,768 families as household assistance.
Efforts are underway to repair damaged roads, with 3,610 km under the state Roads and Buildings Department affected by last week’s rains. A total of 466 teams, involving around 6,487 workers, are working on repairs. The National Highway Authority of India also reported damage to 139 km of roads out of a total of 2,894 km, which are currently being repaired.
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