Amit Shah speaks to CMs of rain-hit States, assures help

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with the chief ministers of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday to review the impact of heavy rains. He assured them that the Centre would provide all possible help, officials said.

Officials said the home minister called Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

During these separate calls, Shah assured each chief minister that the Centre would offer all possible assistance to handle the rain-related situation, officials said.

Mumbai saw heavy rain on Wednesday, which delayed local trains and made commuting difficult for office-goers. The city had already faced heavy rain over the weekend, but experienced a short break on Tuesday. Long-distance trains to Gujarat were still disrupted due to waterlogging on the Vasai-Virar section in Palghar district and at several places in south Gujarat.

Train services on the Mumbai-Pune route had not yet fully resumed after landslides hit the Bhor Ghat section. Civic officials said Tulsi Lake, one of Mumbai’s seven drinking water reservoirs, began overflowing late at night because of heavy rain in its catchment area.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast light to moderate rain in Mumbai and its suburbs throughout the day.

Southern Gujarat also received “extremely heavy” rainfall on Tuesday, with the worst affected being Surat district, where five people died in rain-related incidents. In comparison, 2,100 people were shifted from flooded areas to safe locations, officials said.

Kamrej taluka in Surat district recorded 305 mm of rain in just 10 hours ending at 4 pm on Tuesday, officials said. Schools and colleges in the Navsari district and Surat remained closed on Tuesday due to heavy rain.

“Extremely heavy rainfall occurred at isolated places in the districts of South Gujarat region, namely Surat, Valsad, Dadra & Nagar Haveli in the last 24 hours,” the IMD said in its midday state forecast on Tuesday.

M Nagarajan, Commissioner of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), told reporters that about 2,100 people had been moved from different zones to safe shelters. A district disaster management official said five people had died in rain-related incidents over the past two days.

“Two deaths due to electrocution” Two deaths due to electrocution were reported today, while another person died in the Kamrej area. On Monday, two individuals died from electrocution in the Rander area of Surat,” the official had said.

Heavy rainfall struck the upper reaches of Thathri town in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on Tuesday, partially damaging several houses, shops and vehicles.

It was the third similar incident in Doda and Kishtwar districts this week after heavy rain battered the region. Heavy rain in the upper reaches had triggered flash floods, bringing boulders, mud and debris into Thathri town. The Doda-Kishtwar highway was blocked at Thathri after the flash floods, disrupting traffic in the area.

This incident happened a day after heavy flash floods, caused by nonstop rain, damaged the Doda-Kishtwar highway near the under-construction 540 MW Kwar Hydroelectric Power Project.

Gujarat CM reviews rain situation

Gandhinagar: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel reviewed the prevailing rain situation across the state during a Cabinet meeting and directed the administration to remain on high alert as heavy rainfall continues to affect several districts.

Government spokesperson Jitu Vaghani said the Chief Minister will visit the rain-affected districts of Surat and Valsad on Wednesday to assess the ground situation, interact with affected residents, and personally review ongoing relief and rescue operations.

The Chief Minister also instructed local ministers and district in-charge ministers to visit rain-affected areas under their respective jurisdictions.

They have been asked to monitor the preparedness of the local administration, review disaster management measures, and ensure that relief efforts are carried out effectively.

During the Cabinet meeting, the State Government also paid tribute to 11 people who lost their lives in rain-related incidents, including accidents caused by collapsing walls, falling trees, and lightning strikes.

The Council of Ministers expressed condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the departed souls.

The State Government said it will continue to closely monitor the evolving weather situation and coordinate relief measures in districts affected by heavy rainfall.