Heavy rains pound south, central Gujarat; over 1,500 people evacuated

Heavy rains pounded parts of south and central Gujarat districts, sending rivers in spate and inundating various low-lying areas, leading to the evacuation of 1,500 people, officials said on Sunday.

The Met department has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next five days in the Dang, Navsari and Valsad districts in south Gujarat.

Very heavy rainfall lashed several parts of Chhota Udepur, Panchmahal (both in central Gujarat) and Dang district, with Bodeli taluka in Chhota Udepur receiving 433 mm rainfall in just 12 hours till 6 pm on Sunday, causing flooding of low-lying areas and raising the water level of Uchh and Heran rivers over danger mark, officials said.

"We have so far rescued 65 people from low-lying areas of Bodeli town and Akona village in Nasvari taluka in the Chhota Udepur district. More than 800 people have been shifted to safer places," said deputy mamlatdar Satish Mal.

Authorities in the Navsari district are also on alert with the Kaveri and Ambika rive