Gujarat rains displace 38,000 people; Army, NDRF launch rescue operations
“Relentless downpours continued to paralyse Gujarat for the third consecutive day on Friday (July 24, 2026), cutting off dozens of villages and throwing life out
“Relentless downpours continued to paralyse Gujarat for the third consecutive day on Friday (July 24, 2026), cutting off dozens of villages and throwing life out of gear, with 38,000 people relocated to safer places and more than 352 rescued,” officials said. With more than 400mm rainfall recorded in some locations in 24 hours, teams from the Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Army swung into action in flooded areas, while authorities shut schools and cancelled Mumbai-bound trains. South Gujarat districts of Valsad, Navsari and Surat, and the districts of Ahmedabad and Kheda in the central part of the State recorded very heavy downpours in 24 hours ending 6am. A fresh spell of rain lashed Vav-Tharad, Amreli and Kheda districts since morning, keeping the administration on its toes. "As many as 38,000 people have been relocated so far, primarily from the Navsari and Valsad districts. Most of these people have moved to their relatives' homes, while approximately 2,000 have been shifted to shelter homes. A total of 352 people have been rescued so far," Relief Commissioner Gaurang Makwana said. He said that one death has been officially reported in Tapi, and more information was being collected from affected districts.
“Four NDRF teams, airlifted from Odisha, landed in Surat and were dispatched to Valsad and Navsari, and one was kept on standby in Surat,” he said. “Two Army columns have reached Valsad and Navsari, and two additional teams were being dispatched in the affected districts. Depending on requirements and the evolving situation on Friday (July 24, 2026), further teams will be deployed,” Mr. Makwana said. As per the 24-hour rain data shared by the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), Mehmedabad in Kheda received 507mm of rain, followed by Dholka in Ahmedabad (473mm), Chikhli in Navsari (451mm), Umbergaon in Valsad (434mm) and Khergam in Navsari (434mm). “As many as 35 talukas in the State received more than 200mm of rain during this period,” it stated. In four hours from 6 a.m. on Friday (July 24, 2026), Deodar in Vav-Tharad district received 153 mm of rain, followed by Mehmedabad in Kheda which received 129 mm. Patan, Amreli and Banaskantha were other districts that received a fresh spell of rains since Friday (July 24, 2026) morning, the data showed. Thousands of flood-affected people in Valsad, Navsari, Ahmedabad, Kheda and Dangs were being shifted to safer places, and hundreds rescued were with the help of NDRF and SDRF, with the Army and Coast Guard also kept on alert.
The BriefWire