FLOODS

The Child's Rhyme "Rain rain go away ", lingers in my mind. The South west Monsoon [Thenmerku Paruvamazai as told in Tamil] has set in here at Surat and South Gujarat vigorously. The rains which started almost a week ago is in full swing. The River Tapi at Surat is flowing with high water level. The Flood alert has also been issued by Civil adminstation.

Disruption in rail traffic has been reported all along the Mumbai- Ahemadabad Route and passengers got fustrated at Staions along the route. Passengers were found stranded at Surat and Vadodara Railway stations.

The Main Cause was water indundation along the rail track between Surat and Vadodara as river Narmada was found flowing at Higher level at many places.

From Press

"The water level in dams, lying dry for the past several months, has increased in the past three days as heavy rains were reported from Junagadh, Amreli, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar districts in the past 24 hours. The monsoon activities have eased the drinking water crisis and fodder shortage in about 200 talukas, which were reeling under severe drought conditions."

Times of India
AHMEDABAD: More than 15,000 people have been evacuated from coastal areas in Gujarat, where five rivers are flowing above the danger mark following heavy rains for the last four days. Thirty people have died in rain-related incidents, sources said. The district authorities have issued flood alerts in Navsari, Valsad, Surat and Dang districts and several people in flood-prone areas have been evacuated. The army has also been put on standby. The rivers which are flowing above the danger mark are Auranga, Wanki, Ambika, Kaveri and Kharera rivers in Valsad district of Gujarat. Water Resource Minister Narottam Patel, who is camping in Valsad, described the situation as serious.

From NDTV web site

Wednesday, June 29, 2005 (Ahmedabad):South Gujarat has been reeling under non-stop rain over the last four days, and flood alerts have been sounded in Valsad, Navsari, Surat and Dangs districts.Authorities in Valsad have sought the help of the Coast Guard to help with rising water levels in the rivers. Paramilitary forces have also been called in Navsari.Heavy damageThirty-two people have died due to excessive rainfall in the area, and 15,000 people have been evacuated.Not only have the incessant rains robbed them of their homes, even food to eat is now a commodity that is difficult to find. Further north in Vadodara district, shops and slums have been washed away by the rains, as residents try to salvage their belongings.Wreaking havoc At least four rivers, including the Narmada, are flowing over the danger mark. The rise of water levels around the Wapi bridge, a crucial link between Mumbai and Surat, is indicative of the serious situation. "The collapse of the bridge indicates the power of the river. It can even cause the villages around to be completely submerged," said C Gandhi, Senior PI, Walsad, GIDC police station.Over 10 trains were also left stranded for around eight hours on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad and Mumbai-Delhi routes due to water-logging on the tracks. The trains have now started moving after the water levels receded somewhat, but authorities have advised commuters to stay off as delays are expected.