The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has rescued 67 people, including 25 women and 22 children, from floodwaters in Sarikhurad village of Gujarat’s Navsari district, officials said on Friday.
According to the NDRF, the rescue operation was launched by its 6th Battalion after the civil administration reported that several villagers had been stranded due to flooding. Rescue operations are continuing in the affected areas.
The flood situation is being closely monitored by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi. Sanghavi visited Navsari to assess the ground situation and directed officials to ensure there were no gaps in rescue, relief, evacuation and public safety measures.
To strengthen relief efforts, the state government has deployed 10 senior officers to neighbouring Valsad district with immediate effect.
Rescue operations have also been intensified in Valsad, where 70 Army personnel equipped with five boats, five NDRF teams, five State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams and 25 Fire Brigade personnel have been deployed to assist the local administration. More than 500 residents from the rural areas of Umargam, Vapi, Dharampur and Pardi talukas have been evacuated to safer locations.
State Finance Minister and Navsari District In-charge Minister Kanubhai Desai reviewed the flood situation at the district Disaster Control Room following heavy rainfall. District Collector Manish Gurwani informed him that Navsari had received an average of 4.5 inches of rainfall until 2 p.m. The Juj and Keliya dams have overflowed, around 250 roads have been closed, and nearly 3,000 residents have been shifted to relief shelters.
Desai directed officials to ensure adequate healthcare, sanitation facilities and effective coordination among all departments at relief camps.
In neighbouring Tapi district, the SDRF rescued 11 villagers stranded in Dhodiyawad Faliya of Dolvan taluka after floodwaters inundated the area following extremely heavy rainfall.
In Surat city, emergency teams continued round-the-clock rescue and relief operations. More than 50 residents were rescued from Geeta Nagar in Limbayat, the Shitala Mata Mandir area in Varachha and Krishna Nagar in Udhna. Overall, 2,244 people from Surat city and 2,603 residents from rural parts of the district have been rescued and shifted to relief centres and other safe locations.
(With ANI inputs)
