Ahmedabad: After a cloudy start to the day, Ahmedabad witnessed heavy rain across most parts of the city on Sunday afternoon and evening, bringing down temperatures and providing relief from the prolonged dry spell. Till 6pm, the city recorded an average rainfall of 34mm.The downpour, however, failed to dampen the enthusiasm of devotees preparing for Ganesh Chaturthi on Monday. Residents were seen queuing up across the city to bring home Ganesh idols for installation, while hundreds of pandals made final preparations for the festival.According to Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) data, the heaviest rainfall occurred between 4pm and 7pm. Motera recorded the highest rainfall at 61.5mm, followed by Naroda (55mm), Dudheshwar (54.5mm), Ranip (50.5mm) and Sardarnagar (50mm). In western parts of the city, Navrangpura received 47.5mm rainfall, Jodhpur 45mm, Bopal 42mm, Memnagar 29.5mm and Thaltej 19mm.As water levels rose, six gates of the Vasna barrage were opened. The Mithakhali underpass was also closed for about an hour as a precautionary measure.A house collapsed in the Khadia area during the rain, trapping four people. Teams of Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) launched a rescue operation. Waterlogging led to traffic snarls in several parts of the city, while some vehicles got stranded due to inundation and cave-ins. Officials said water levels began receding after 7pm.According to State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) data, Ahmedabad has received 77% of its seasonal rainfall so far, and Sunday‘s widespread showers are expected to improve the tally further.The fresh spell of rain also brought relief across Gujarat, which has been facing concerns over water scarcity and the impact of an extended dry period in Aug and early Sept on sowing activities. Weather experts said the state had not witnessed a significant rainfall event since the first week of Aug.Across Gujarat, 19 talukas recorded more than 50mm rainfall till 8pm on Sunday, with most of them located in south Gujarat. Districts including Surendranagar, Botad, Dahod, and Kheda also reported substantial rainfall. In all, 214 talukas received at least 1mm of rain during the day.
