Ahmedabad Police Shut Highway as Gujarat Floods Disrupt Travel
Ahmedabad District Police closed the Ahmedabad-Viramgam Highway on Saturday. Heavy rainfall caused excessive water flow and flooding across parts of Gujarat.
Officials declared the stretch between Sanand and Viramgam unsafe in both directions. “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 police stated.
Ahmedabad District Collector Bhavya Verma said the overall situation remains under control. Continuous rain has hit the district for two days. Dholka and Viramgam recorded the highest rainfall in the past 24 hours. As a result, authorities are keeping extra watch on those areas. Fortunately, no rain has fallen there in the last eight hours.
Rescue teams have moved quickly. Yesterday they evacuated 440 people. Today they relocated about 400 people in Viramgam taluka as a precaution. Teams also rescued 40 people earlier, including six who were trapped in floodwaters. The State Disaster Response Force, police, and local administration handled the operations.
Authorities have also deployed Indian Army and SDRF teams along the Ahmedabad-Rajkot Highway. Waterlogging continues in several places. All administrative and rescue teams remain active on the ground. A red alert for heavy rainfall stays in effect for Ahmedabad district tomorrow as well.
Meanwhile, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi visited flood-hit areas in Umargam of Valsad district on Friday. He inspected the damage and met citizens face-to-face. He urged people to ignore rumors and follow official instructions.
BJP MP Dhaval Laxmanbhai Patel noted that South Gujarat, especially Valsad, received extremely heavy rain. The area recorded 46 inches of rainfall. He described it as the third-highest recorded rainfall in India’s history. The entire district suffered severe flooding as a result.
The state government assessed the situation thoroughly and launched large-scale rescue and relief work. Teams rescued more than 12,000 people and provided them safe shelter, food, and essential supplies. Officials also worked to deliver food kits to people stranded in villages.
Patel highlighted Sanghavi’s two-day visit. The Deputy Chief Minister personally reviewed rescue operations and checked what further help people still needed.
The next phase of relief will focus on home visits. Teams will assess individual needs, including healthcare and property damage. Surveys are starting right away. After completion, the government will provide cash assistance to every eligible beneficiary.
A red alert continues for Ahmedabad district as heavy rain affects multiple parts of Gujarat. Flooding has disrupted road connectivity in several areas.