Rajkot/Surat/Vadodara/Ahmedabad: Still recovering from last week’s rain havoc, Gujarat is bracing for another 48 hours of extremely heavy rainfall and gusty winds that could trigger flash floods, prompting district administrations across the state to switch to emergency mode to minimise damage and prevent loss of life.Schools and colleges will remain shut for two days in several districts as authorities and municipal corporations activate emergency response measures. Quick Response Teams (QRTs), NDRF and SDRF personnel, fire brigade teams, dewatering pumps, earthmovers, rescue boats and other life-saving equipment have been deployed at vulnerable locations.Flood-prone villages and low-lying areas are under close watch, with evacuation plans and temporary shelters kept ready. Authorities have stocked essential medicines, food packets and drinking water, while hospitals and other critical services have been put on alert. Residents have been urged to avoid unnecessary travel, stay away from rivers and flooded areas, and strictly follow official advisories as water levels could rise rapidly.Additional chief secretary (revenue) Jayanti Ravi chaired a detailed online review meeting with district collectors and senior officials at the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) in Gandhinagar, directing round-the-clock monitoring through district control rooms. She instructed officials to immediately deploy NDRF and SDRF teams wherever required and said the Army, Navy and Air Force had been kept on standby.Rajkot collector Om Prakash said around 170-180 flood-prone villages along rivers and near dams had been identified, with evacuation plans in place and primary schools designated as temporary shelters.In Vadodara, which witnessed devastating floods last year, civic authorities will monitor the city through 2,200 CCTV cameras. Dewatering pumps have been stationed at 216 waterlogging hotspots, while rescue boats have been kept ready for emergency evacuations.In Surat, the civic body has begun evacuating residents from flood-prone localities, deployed NDRF and SDRF teams, and set up relief shelters. The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has also directed builders and contractors to implement immediate safety measures at construction sites by securing cranes, loose materials and temporary structures, besides relocating workers to safer locations if required.Bharuch has deployed NDRF-SDRF teams with 26 rescue boats and identified 81 flood-prone villages, while Tapi has kept two SDRF teams, five boats, 180 trained volunteers and 100 shelters ready. In Navsari, authorities have evacuated workers from shrimp farms and are monitoring pregnant women to ensure timely medical assistance.Ahmedabad is also on high alert after the IMD issued a red alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall, with extremely heavy rain likely at isolated places over the next two days.AMC commissioner Banchha Nidhi Pani advised citizens to work from home wherever possible. “Leaves of all AMC employees have been cancelled. The Sabarmati River has been emptied to create storage capacity for incoming rainwater, and the Vasna barrage gates have been opened to facilitate rapid drainage. Winds of 40-50 kmph are likely, and citizens should avoid standing under trees or hoardings,” he said.Ahmedabad collector Bhavya Varma said NDRF and SDRF teams had been positioned at Dholka, Bavla and Sanand.The city is still reeling from last week’s record 298 mm deluge—the fourth-highest single-day rainfall in a century – and floodwaters are yet to recede completely from several areas.
