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A deep depression causing extreme rainfall in Saurashtra, India, has moved towards Kutch and is expected to emerge into the Arabian Sea, becoming a cyclonic storm on Friday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for several Saurashtra districts, including Jamnagar, Porbandar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, and Kutch, forecasting very to very heavy rainfall throughout Friday. Heavy rains are also anticipated in Rajkot, Junagadh, and Morbi.
The impact of the depression is not limited to Friday. On Saturday, heavy rains are predicted in South Gujarat districts, including Navsari and Valsad, as well as Saurashtra districts of Jamnagar, Porbandar, Dwarka, and Kutch. The prolonged rainfall has resulted in widespread flooding, impacting infrastructure and displacing communities. However, floodwaters are gradually receding, and road connectivity to Dwarka and Okha town has been restored.
The heavy rains have caused significant disruption to power supply. As of Thursday evening, 738 villages in Saurashtra-Kutch regions were without power, including 443 villages in Kutch district alone. The state-owned power distributor, Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited, reported that 1,963 electricity poles were uprooted and 88 power transformers were damaged due to the storms. The floods have also affected homes and infrastructure, with Mandvi town in Kutch experiencing widespread flooding, including the home of local BJP MLA Aniruddh Dave.
Despite the challenges, relief efforts are underway. The Indian Army has evacuated around 250 people from low-lying areas of Mandvi, and teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are also assisting in evacuations. The Kutch collector, Amit Arora, reported that around 500 people were evacuated from vulnerable areas in anticipation of waterlogging or flooding. The inclement weather has also impacted the operations of Kandla and Mundra ports, with Kandla port hoisting Port Warning Signal No. 3, indicating local bad weather.
Source: Heavy rain to continue in parts of Saurashtra today, says IMD