Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi inspected flood-hit Umargam as the administration prepared household damage surveys and assistance for eligible residents.
Ahmedabad District Police closed the Ahmedabad-Viramgam highway after warning that vehicle movement between Sanand and Viramgam was unsafe. | ANI
Traffic between Sanand and Viramgam was stopped in both directions on Saturday after floodwater made the Ahmedabad-Viramgam highway unsafe for vehicles.
The closure came as authorities continued evacuations in Ahmedabad district, where around 840 people were moved from vulnerable areas over two days. An official said the situation remained under control, although waterlogging persisted and a red alert for heavy rain was in force.
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Ahmedabad District Police announced the complete temporary closure after excessive water began flowing over the road.
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“No vehicle from Sanand to Viramgam and Viramgam to Sanand is safe to ply over it. We are closing the entire highway for the time being,” the district police said.
No reopening time was announced. The closure affects traffic travelling in either direction between Sanand and Viramgam.
Ahmedabad District Collector Bhavya Verma said 440 people had been evacuated a day earlier. Around 400 more were relocated from Viramgam taluka as a precaution.
Authorities also rescued 40 people, including six who had become trapped in floodwater.
“These individuals were rescued with the help of the SDRF team, police, and local administration,” Verma said.
Personnel from the State Disaster Response Force, police and local administration were involved in the operations.
Indian Army and SDRF teams were also stationed along the Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway as the administration watched areas exposed to further flooding.
“The situation is currently under control, though waterlogging persists in several areas. All administrative and rescue teams are actively deployed on the ground,” the collector said.
Dholka and Viramgam recorded the district’s highest rainfall during the preceding 24 hours, according to Verma. He said the administration was exercising additional caution in both areas.
There had been no rain in Dholka and Viramgam for eight hours before his briefing, offering some respite to response teams.
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi inspected flood-affected parts of Umargam in Valsad district on Friday.
He met residents and reviewed rescue work while asking people to follow official instructions and avoid rumours.
Valsad BJP MP Dhaval Laxmanbhai Patel said more than 12,000 people had been rescued and provided shelter, food and other essential assistance. He also said food kits were delivered to people stranded in villages.
Patel claimed that parts of Valsad had received 46 inches of rain, which he described as the third-highest rainfall recorded in India’s history.
The next stage of the response will include visits to affected homes, healthcare assistance and surveys of flood damage, according to Patel.
“The survey process is beginning immediately, and after it is completed, we will provide cash assistance to every eligible beneficiary,” he said.
Heavy rainfall has disrupted roads and inundated several parts of Gujarat. The Ahmedabad administration said rescue personnel would remain on the ground while the red alert continued.
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