“Cyclone Asna” will continue to move west-northwestward over the northeast Arabian Sea, away from the Indian coast, over the next two days, according to IMD.
Although rainfall has subsided in most parts of Gujarat, many towns and villages continue to face waterlogging due to swollen rivers, according to officials cited by news agency ANI.
An Indian Coast Guard ship tows boat ‘Padmawati’ to safety after it drifted into the sea due to rough weather conditions off the Dwarka coast in Gujarat. (PTI Photo)
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned on Friday that the deep depression, which brought heavy rains and floods to the coastal state, has intensified into “Cyclone Asna” near the coast of Kutch and adjacent areas of Pakistan.
This marks the first cyclonic storm in the Arabian Sea in August since 1976, with the name “Asna” given by Pakistan. According to the weather department, the cyclone will continue to move west-northwestward over the northeast Arabian Sea, away from the Indian coast, over the next two days.
Earlier, Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with him on Thursday morning to inquire about the flood situation and the ongoing relief efforts for those affected.
Here are the latest updates
– Following a cyclonic storm warning by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Kutch collector Amit Arora released a video message urging residents of Abdasa, Mandvi, and Lakhpat talukas to vacate their huts and kutcha houses, and seek shelter in schools or other buildings. He also requested locals to provide shelter to those in need until Friday evening.
– IMD scientist Ramashray Yadav was quoted by ANI as saying that Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar are likely to experience light to moderate rainfall today, while Kutch received heavy rainfall over the last 24 hours. The state has received 882 mm of rainfall since June 1.
– Six columns of the Indian Army are conducting rescue operations in the worst-hit areas. An additional team of 350 sanitation workers from Surat has been deployed to Vadodara to assist in cleaning after flood-like conditions.
– Vadodara, severely impacted by flooding from the Vishwamitri river, is slowly returning to normal as water levels continue to recede. According to city civic authorities, the river’s level has dropped significantly, from 37 feet to 32 feet, bringing much-needed relief to the worst-affected areas.
– Rain-related incidents in Gujarat have resulted in 26 fatalities over the past four days. More than 18,000 people have been relocated, and approximately 1,200 people have been rescued from flood-affected areas.
– According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), in some instances, security forces used helicopters to evacuate residents to safer locations.
– Although Kheda district received no rainfall, the Shedhi river’s overflow inundated several parts of Kheda town and around 20 nearby villages. Main roads and markets remained under about a foot of water.
– Devbhumi Dwarka district has experienced extremely heavy rainfall in the last two days. Many areas in Dwarka, Okha, and Jam Raval town are still submerged, according to collector GT Pandya.
– According to Bharuch collector Tushar Sumera, around ten villages in Jambusar and Amod talukas have been flooded since Thursday after water from the Dhadhar river entered these areas.
(With ANI, PTI inputs)