Heavy Rains Cause Road Closures and Sinkholes in Gujarat
Heavy rainfall in Gujarat has caused significant disruptions, including the closure of two national highways and six major district roads in Junagadh. Deputy Collector JP Zala confirmed that alerts have been issued and waterlogged roads have been closed. He stated, “Three straight highways in Junagadh have been closed. 6 major district connecting roads have also been closed. Once the water level goes down, the situation will be under control. We have issued an alert for low-lying areas, and waterlogged ways have been closed.”
In Ahmedabad, a massive sinkhole resembling a crater appeared when a portion of a road caved in during heavy rainfall. Visuals on social media show water flowing into the large cavity. Recent satellite imagery indicates the presence of convective clouds, suggesting the possibility of more rainfall.
The weather department forecasted rainfall across Gujarat for the next five days and issued an orange alert for Bharuch, Surat, Navsari, Valsad, and Dadra Nagar Haveli. IMD Scientist Pradeep Sharma said, “There will be rains in all parts of Gujarat in the next 5 days. A warning for very heavy rain is issued for Saurashtra and Kutch for today. An orange alert has been issued for Bharuch, Surat, Navsari, Valsad and Dadra Nagar Haveli.”
At Rajkot airport, part of the canopy collapsed during maintenance work to remove accumulated water. No injuries were reported, and repair work is underway. Rajkot airport authorities stated, “Water accumulation was observed on the city side of the canopy at the terminal building at 11:40 am due to heavy rains. As we came to know about it, we informed the civil works department and the area beneath was cordoned off.”
The IMD has also issued an alert for widespread rainfall and thunderstorms across several regions in India, including Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, and Meghalaya. Light to moderate rainfall is expected in Odisha, Konkan, Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Lakshadweep, and the Nicobar Islands.
