Gujarat on red alert: Monsoon dumps 177 mm rain in two hours over Ahmedabad
Just two hours of rain transformed parts of Ahmedabad beyond recognition, triggering extreme scenes across the city. Here's what unfolded and why officials remain on high alert.
Ahmedabad came to a grinding halt on Thursday after an intense cloudburst dumped nearly seven inches (around 177 mm) of rain in just two hours, inundating roads, trapping vehicles, disrupting traffic, and exposing glaring gaps in the city's flood preparedness.
The torrential rainfall, recorded between 10 am and 12 noon, prompted authorities to declare a holiday for all schools and colleges in the city on July 24 as heavy rain continued to batter parts of Gujarat.
According to civic authorities, the heaviest rainfall was recorded in Ahmedabad's southwest and northwest zones, which received an average of 9 inches.
The west zone recorded 8 inches, the central zone received 6.5 inches, while the south zone logged around four inches during the same period.
Despite being one of India's largest municipal corporations by budget, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) came under sharp criticism as roads turned into rivers within hours. Commuters were left stranded in bumper-to-bumper traffic, while numerous vehicles stalled in waist-deep water.
Visuals from Manekbagh showed motorists pushing their cars and two-wheelers through flooded intersections as water reached waist level. Residents questioned the effectiveness of the city's pre-monsoon preparations, saying that just two hours of rainfall had brought the mega city to a complete standstill.
The situation was equally grim in Ambli village in Bopal, now part of Ahmedabad's expanding urban limits. Floodwaters submerged roads, homes, and public infrastructure, with water levels rising above waist height in several areas.
Heavy rain also caused the wall of a local pond to collapse, sending three parked cars plunging into the water. The incident triggered outrage among residents, who accused civic authorities of failing to respond to their distress.
"Everyone comes asking for votes, but no one comes when we need help," several residents said, claiming they were forced to rely on neighbours for rescue and assistance.
The flooding also affected an Arogya Kendra (health centre), where staff had to shut the entrance after nearly two feet of water entered the compound. While children were seen enjoying the rain, many families struggled as floodwaters entered their homes, disrupting daily life.
Emergency services remained busy throughout the day. The fire department responded to 10 calls related to fallen trees, two wall collapse incidents, and eight cases of electrical short circuits. Police, fire personnel and municipal workers were deployed to assist stranded residents across several flood-hit localities.
The AMC has advised avoiding travel through 15 severely waterlogged roads, while eight major underpasses were temporarily closed before being reopened later in the day. Authorities also opened three gates of the Vasna Barrage to lower the Sabarmati River's water level, helping improve drainage as rainfall eased.
The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for heavy rainfall in South Gujarat, while parts of Central Gujarat and Saurashtra remain under an orange alert.
For Thursday, orange alerts remain in place across much of central and south Gujarat, while Mahisagar, Dahod and Panchmahal are under a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall.
Amid the worsening flood situation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to review the situation. The Centre assured the state government of all possible assistance to deal with the ongoing rain-related emergency.
Ahmedabad came to a grinding halt on Thursday after an intense cloudburst dumped nearly seven inches (around 177 mm) of rain in just two hours, inundating roads, trapping vehicles, disrupting traffic, and exposing glaring gaps in the city's flood preparedness.
The torrential rainfall, recorded between 10 am and 12 noon, prompted authorities to declare a holiday for all schools and colleges in the city on July 24 as heavy rain continued to batter parts of Gujarat.
According to civic authorities, the heaviest rainfall was recorded in Ahmedabad's southwest and northwest zones, which received an average of 9 inches.
The west zone recorded 8 inches, the central zone received 6.5 inches, while the south zone logged around four inches during the same period.
Despite being one of India's largest municipal corporations by budget, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) came under sharp criticism as roads turned into rivers within hours. Commuters were left stranded in bumper-to-bumper traffic, while numerous vehicles stalled in waist-deep water.
Visuals from Manekbagh showed motorists pushing their cars and two-wheelers through flooded intersections as water reached waist level. Residents questioned the effectiveness of the city's pre-monsoon preparations, saying that just two hours of rainfall had brought the mega city to a complete standstill.
The situation was equally grim in Ambli village in Bopal, now part of Ahmedabad's expanding urban limits. Floodwaters submerged roads, homes, and public infrastructure, with water levels rising above waist height in several areas.
Heavy rain also caused the wall of a local pond to collapse, sending three parked cars plunging into the water. The incident triggered outrage among residents, who accused civic authorities of failing to respond to their distress.
"Everyone comes asking for votes, but no one comes when we need help," several residents said, claiming they were forced to rely on neighbours for rescue and assistance.
The flooding also affected an Arogya Kendra (health centre), where staff had to shut the entrance after nearly two feet of water entered the compound. While children were seen enjoying the rain, many families struggled as floodwaters entered their homes, disrupting daily life.
Emergency services remained busy throughout the day. The fire department responded to 10 calls related to fallen trees, two wall collapse incidents, and eight cases of electrical short circuits. Police, fire personnel and municipal workers were deployed to assist stranded residents across several flood-hit localities.
The AMC has advised avoiding travel through 15 severely waterlogged roads, while eight major underpasses were temporarily closed before being reopened later in the day. Authorities also opened three gates of the Vasna Barrage to lower the Sabarmati River's water level, helping improve drainage as rainfall eased.
The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for heavy rainfall in South Gujarat, while parts of Central Gujarat and Saurashtra remain under an orange alert.
For Thursday, orange alerts remain in place across much of central and south Gujarat, while Mahisagar, Dahod and Panchmahal are under a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall.
Amid the worsening flood situation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to review the situation. The Centre assured the state government of all possible assistance to deal with the ongoing rain-related emergency.
Ahmedabad came to a grinding halt on Thursday after an intense cloudburst dumped nearly seven inches (around 177 mm) of rain in just two hours, inundating roads, trapping vehicles, disrupting traffic, and exposing glaring gaps in the city's flood preparedness.
The torrential rainfall, recorded between 10 am and 12 noon, prompted authorities to declare a holiday for all schools and colleges in the city on July 24 as heavy rain continued to batter parts of Gujarat.
According to civic authorities, the heaviest rainfall was recorded in Ahmedabad's southwest and northwest zones, which received an average of 9 inches.
The west zone recorded 8 inches, the central zone received 6.5 inches, while the south zone logged around four inches during the same period.
Despite being one of India's largest municipal corporations by budget, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) came under sharp criticism as roads turned into rivers within hours. Commuters were left stranded in bumper-to-bumper traffic, while numerous vehicles stalled in waist-deep water.
Visuals from Manekbagh showed motorists pushing their cars and two-wheelers through flooded intersections as water reached waist level. Residents questioned the effectiveness of the city's pre-monsoon preparations, saying that just two hours of rainfall had brought the mega city to a complete standstill.
The situation was equally grim in Ambli village in Bopal, now part of Ahmedabad's expanding urban limits. Floodwaters submerged roads, homes, and public infrastructure, with water levels rising above waist height in several areas.
Heavy rain also caused the wall of a local pond to collapse, sending three parked cars plunging into the water. The incident triggered outrage among residents, who accused civic authorities of failing to respond to their distress.
"Everyone comes asking for votes, but no one comes when we need help," several residents said, claiming they were forced to rely on neighbours for rescue and assistance.
The flooding also affected an Arogya Kendra (health centre), where staff had to shut the entrance after nearly two feet of water entered the compound. While children were seen enjoying the rain, many families struggled as floodwaters entered their homes, disrupting daily life.
Emergency services remained busy throughout the day. The fire department responded to 10 calls related to fallen trees, two wall collapse incidents, and eight cases of electrical short circuits. Police, fire personnel and municipal workers were deployed to assist stranded residents across several flood-hit localities.
The AMC has advised avoiding travel through 15 severely waterlogged roads, while eight major underpasses were temporarily closed before being reopened later in the day. Authorities also opened three gates of the Vasna Barrage to lower the Sabarmati River's water level, helping improve drainage as rainfall eased.
The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for heavy rainfall in South Gujarat, while parts of Central Gujarat and Saurashtra remain under an orange alert.
For Thursday, orange alerts remain in place across much of central and south Gujarat, while Mahisagar, Dahod and Panchmahal are under a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall.
Amid the worsening flood situation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to review the situation. The Centre assured the state government of all possible assistance to deal with the ongoing rain-related emergency.
