Surat: Although rainfall has ceased across south Gujarat, floodwaters continue to wreak havoc in several parts of the region, leaving villages inundated, disrupting daily life, and causing extensive damage to industries.Areas in Hansot, Olpad and Mangrol talukas of Surat district remain waterlogged following the flooding of the Kim river on Sunday. Several villages were still submerged, with residents struggling to return to normalcy as floodwaters recede only slowly.In Kim, the local crematorium, which serves nearly 10 surrounding villages, remained submerged, making it difficult for families to perform last rites. Villages including Kathodara, Bolav and Kuwarada continue to face severe waterlogging, with floodwaters entering homes and damaging property.In Bolav village of Olpad taluka, more than 30 houses remained under 4 to 5 feet of water on Sunday, forcing residents to stay displaced and await relief.The Kim-Olpad state highway near Anita village also remained affected due to waterlogging, preventing authorities from reopening the road for traffic despite efforts to restore connectivity.The industrial sector has also suffered significant losses. Floodwaters entered the Borasara GIDC near Kim Crossroads, submerging machinery worth lakhs of rupees inside factories. Industrialists said the water level rose rapidly within a few hours, leaving them with little time to move equipment or raw materials to safety.Textile manufacturers were among the worst affected, with large quantities of ready grey fabric submerged in floodwaters. Factory owners estimate that industries in the estate have suffered losses running into crores of rupees.Industrialists have demanded immediate govt assistance, speedy damage assessment, and insurance support, alleging that there was no advance warning of the sudden flooding despite the deteriorating river conditions.
