Surat: Heavy rain continued across South Gujarat on Saturday, a day after extreme rainfall in the catchment areas of rivers flowing through Surat, Bharuch and Navsari triggered flooding in several urban and rural pockets. Officials said flooding on Saturday was being driven not only by local showers but also by heavy upstream inflows that swelled rivers and creeks.The Kim river flooded parts of Surat and Bharuch districts, inundating villages and farmlands as water spilled over its banks. Officials said the current remained strong even as floodwaters flowed through villages and farmland. Rescue operations were carried out near Kim Cross Road, including evacuations from industrial units in the GIDC area, where floodwater surrounded industrial pockets and workers were reportedly trapped.In Surat district’s Mangrol taluka, rescue operations continued in flooded areas after water entered industrial premises and warehouses. Teams were deployed to evacuate workers to safer locations as inundation spread.Rainfall data for the 24 hours ending at 6am Saturday showed extremely heavy rain in parts of Surat and Tapi districts. Ambika in Surat received 611mm, including 176mm in a two-hour spell between 6pm and 8pm Friday. Dolvan in Tapi received 425mm, including 107mm during the same period. Vansda in Navsari recorded 413mm, while Umarpada in Surat received 371mm.In Navsari, parts of the city were flooded after the Purna river rose and entered residential areas. Rescue operations were launched for people trapped in low-lying localities, including Shantadevi Road. Authorities said 11,590 people were evacuated in Navsari, 1,567 in Tapi and 7,311 in Surat.Bharuch city also reported waterlogging in residential areas, with water entering some homes. In Surat, the Limbayat area was inundated after an overflowing creek spilled into the locality, while relief operations continued.The Ukai dam on the Tapi was receiving around 4.29 lakh cusecs of inflow on Saturday morning following heavy rain in its catchment. Its water level stood at 321 feet, below the rule level of 333 feet. Discharge from the dam was 800 cusecs, while the weir-cum-causeway in Surat was releasing around 1 lakh cusecs, briefly rising to nearly 2 lakh cusecs around midnight amid intense rain.Meanwhile, the Federation of Surat Trade and Textile Associations said on Saturday morning that textile markets would remain open, leaving market administrations to take decisions based on local conditions.
