The Gujarat government has stepped up disaster preparedness in Surat after issuing a Red Alert for the city and district, with a deep depression expected to bring extremely heavy rainfall across parts of the state.
Surat Municipal Commissioner M. Nagarajan said the administration has activated emergency measures following weather warnings issued by the State Emergency Operations Centre.
“In anticipation of adverse weather, the Gujarat government has issued a Red Alert for Surat city and district for July 31. The State Emergency Operations Centre has issued comprehensive guidelines to ensure public safety,” Nagarajan said.
He said National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been deployed and are on standby, with additional teams ready to be mobilised if required.
To minimise the impact of strong winds and heavy rain, the Surat Municipal Corporation has taken preventive measures across the city. Authorities have removed around 150 hoardings and 100 hazardous trees, secured high-mast towers, and opened shelter homes in low-lying areas to accommodate residents in case evacuations become necessary.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department’s Ahmedabad Centre has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at several places across Gujarat from July 31 to August 1, with isolated extremely to exceptionally heavy rainfall likely over the Gujarat region on Friday.
According to the weather department, a deep depression was centred over west-central Chhattisgarh and adjoining areas of Vidarbha and southeast Madhya Pradesh at 8:30 a.m. IST on Friday. The system is expected to move westwards, weaken into a depression over the next 12 hours, and then track west-northwestwards across Vidarbha and adjoining south Madhya Pradesh.
-ANI
