Widespread rain lashes Gujarat, dams near capacity

Gandhinagar, Aug 22 (IANS) Heavy rainfall continued across Gujarat over the past 24 hours, with showers reported in 212 talukas across 33 districts.

Valsad's Pardi taluka recorded the highest rainfall at 4 inches, followed by Dharampur with 3 inches, while Khervagam (Navsari), Kaprada (Valsad) and Talod (Sabarkantha) received more than 2 inches, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning to fishermen, advising them not to venture into the sea along Gujarat's coastal belt from August 22 to 25 due to rough weather conditions.

As of now, the state has received an average of 681.14 mm rainfall, accounting for 77.24 per cent of the season's quota.

South Gujarat leads with 80.51 per cent of seasonal rainfall, followed by Kutch (80.26 per cent), Saurashtra (77.39 per cent), North Gujarat (75.87 per cent), and East-Central Gujarat (73.40 per cent).

Water levels in reservoirs have surged, with the Narmada Dam, considered Gujarat's lifeline, now at 80.84 per cent capacity.

Across the state, 206 other reservoirs are filled to 75.74 per cent of their capacity. Authorities have placed 73 dams on high alert, 35 on alert, and 16 under warning. The monsoon has also triggered large-scale evacuations.

Since June 1, 2025, nearly 5,205 people have been shifted to safer locations, while 900 citizens have been rescued.

To deal with emergencies, 12 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and 20 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been deployed across the state. One NDRF and 13 SDRF teams are kept on standby at headquarters.

Gujarat's 2025 monsoon has been marked by extremes -- early surge, patchy distribution, and sudden cloudbursts.

June turned out to be the wettest in a decade, with around 288.70 mm of rainfall, or nearly 33 per cent of the annual average, falling in just one month.

By late June, the state had already received over 34 per cent of its seasonal quota, a record pace compared to previous years.

The rain, however, was uneven. South Gujarat and Kutch saw rainfall above 80 per cent of their average, while Saurashtra struggled with long dry spells and deficits, with some talukas recording as little as 23 per cent–36 per cent of normal rain.

--IANS

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