The Gandhinagar district administration evacuated around 15 women and children from flood-affected low-lying localities to a temporary shelter on Thursday, 23 July, as heavy and intensifying rainfall swept across the district. Authorities placed the entire administration on high alert and issued precautionary directives to all departments amid forecasts of continued heavy rain.

Rainfall Figures Across the District

According to the Gandhinagar District Control Room, the district recorded an average rainfall of 36.5 mm (approximately 1.5 inches) up to 6 pm on 23 July. Mansa taluka received the highest single-point total at 54 mm, with 39 mm of that falling within just two hours between 4 pm and 6 pm.

Gandhinagar taluka recorded 48 mm overall, including 26 mm during the same two-hour window. Kalol received 26 mm and Dehgam recorded 18 mm through the day. District-wide, an average of 20.25 mm fell between 4 pm and 6 pm alone, as intermittent morning showers gave way to a sharper evening burst.

Evacuation and Shelter Arrangements

The evacuated residents were from Chiloda (Daboda) village and the Sancholi area in Gandhinagar taluka, where rainwater had pooled in low-lying localities. They were moved to a local school under district administration supervision, where accommodation, bedding, and food arrangements were put in place.

District Collector Ravindra Khatale directed officials to ensure no inconvenience was caused to those sheltering at the facility. The Taluka Development Officer confirmed the school had been prepared to accommodate more than 60 people with basic facilities should additional evacuations become necessary, while dewatering operations continued in affected areas.

Administration on High Alert

The district administration issued detailed instructions to all Mamlatdars, Taluka Development Officers, municipal chief officers, and officials of the Roads and Buildings, Irrigation, and Forest departments, directing them to remain at their headquarters and not leave without prior approval from competent authority.

Officials were instructed to undertake timely evacuations in vulnerable low-lying zones, install barricades at waterlogged and hazardous locations, deploy police where necessary, keep dewatering pumps on standby, relocate residents from severely dilapidated structures if life was at risk, restore roads blocked by fallen trees, and maintain safety along the Narmada Canal and adjoining roads.

City Monitoring and Ground Response

In Gandhinagar city, Deputy Municipal Commissioner B.R. Ahir, City Engineer B.K. Pandya, and other senior officials monitored the rainfall situation from the Integrated Command and Control Centre through live feeds covering roads, stormwater drainage, and sewerage networks.

Mayor Mira Patel visited affected areas including Sectors 4 and 6, instructing officials to expedite rainwater drainage, address waterlogging, and maintain uninterrupted civic services. Civic teams remained deployed across the city round the clock. The administration said it was continuously tracking weather and disaster alerts via the Sachet App and appealed to residents to rely solely on official advisories and avoid rumours.

With heavy rainfall forecasts still in effect, authorities say the situation remains under active watch and further evacuations will be carried out as needed.