Junagadh: Heavy rain in parts of Gujarat has led to severe waterlogging, causing a flood-like situation. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall in the state tomorrow.
Junagadh was the worst-hit with the city recording 241 mm rainfall in the 24-hour period ending at 6 am on Sunday. Severe waterlogging and flash floods in the city have resulted in cars getting piled on each other and vehicles and cattle being swept away.
Two national highways, 10 state highways and 300 rural roads were closed in Gujarat on Saturday due to flooding, and the traffic resumed at places where water receded, authorities said.
Authorities, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), are working on a war footing to evacuate people and restore normalcy in areas where the rain has stopped.
Nearly 3,000 people have been shifted from Junagadh to safer places.
Cranes have been deployed to remove vehicles swept away and damaged due to flooding in some areas. Authorities are also using dewatering pumps to remove water accumulated in residential areas.
"Our main focus now is towards cleanliness in the city. Junagadh city has around 600 cleaning staff, and we are getting another 400 from other districts. So, our focus for today is to clean the city so that normalcy is restored," Junagadh Collector Anil Ranavasiya said.
(with PTI and ANI inputs)