Underpasses shut, vehicles stuck: Ahmedabad flooded amid rain fury in Gujarat

At least three underpasses in Ahmedabad had to be closed as heavy rain lashed the city since Sunday, leading to waterlogging in several areas. Videos on social media showed cars and two-wheelers stuck on the city’s inundated roads.

The India Meteorological Department has issued warnings of heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms and squalls, for Gujarat. A red alert has been issued for the Saurashtra districts of Surendranagar, Rajkot and Morbi on Monday.

In Ahmedabad, the underpass connecting Mithakhali crossroads with Ashram Road was shut down at 10:28 am. The Akhbarnagar underpass on the 132- feet Ring Road that connects to the airport was closed around 12:50 pm. Since 6 am on Sunday, 33 of 34 districts of Gujarat received an average of 21.84 mm rainfall, with Valsad, Bharuch and Botad among the districts that got the maximum rain.

Till 6 am on Monday, Gujarat received an average rainfall of 729 mm, 80.23 per cent of the average rainfall received by the state in the last 30 years. #WATCH | Gujarat | Severe waterlogging in parts of Ahmedabad city amid heavy rainfall; Visuals from Sindhu Bhavan road pic.twitter.com/eD9Bistyxm Kaprada recorded 113 mm of rain, Valia 97 mm, Nanapondha 90 mm, Dharampur 87 mm and Barwala 86 mm of rain in the last 24 hours.

Between 6 am and 10 am on Monday, the five talukas of Anand (Borsad and Tarapur), Panchmahals (Godhra), Ahmedabad (Dholka), and Navsari (Gandevi) received heavy rain. After the Tapi river’s water level rose due to heavy rain, Surat Municipal Corporation closed the causeway in Singhanpore that connects to Rander after water began flowing over it.

Till 2 pm on Monday, Surat received an average of 50 mm of rain, the highest in Olpad taluka at 26 mm. Valsad district, which has recorded the highest departure from normal in the state, received an average of 22 mm of rain in the same period, with Pardi taluka getting the highest at 31 mm.

Parimal A Dabhi works with The Indian Express as Chief of Bureau, focusing on the state of Gujarat. Leveraging his seniority and access, Dabhi is recognized for his reporting on the complex interplay of law, politics, social justice, and governance within the region.

Expertise & Authority Core Authority (Social Justice and Law): Dabhi is a key source for in-depth coverage of caste-based violence, discrimination, and the state's response to social movements, particularly those involving Patidar, Dalit and OBC communities.

His reporting focuses on the societal and legal fallout of these issues: Caste and Discrimination: He has reported extensively on social boycotts and instances of violence against Dalits (such as the attack on a Dalit wedding party in Patan), the community's demands (like refusing to pick carcasses), and the political responses from leaders like Jignesh Mevani.

Judicial and Legal Affairs: He tracks significant, high-stakes legal cases and judgments that set precedents in Gujarat, including the convictions under the stringent Gujarat Animal Preservation Act (cow slaughter), 2002 Gujarat riots and developments in cases involving former police officers facing charges of wrongful confinement and fake encounters.

Political and Administrative Oversight: Dabhi provides essential coverage of the inner workings of the state government and the opposition, ensuring a high degree of Trustworthiness in political analysis: State Assembly Proceedings: He frequently reports directly from the Gujarat Assembly, covering Question Hour, discussion on various Bills, debates on budgetary demands for departments like Social Justice, and ministerial statements on issues like illegal mining, job quotas for locals, and satellite-based farm loss surveys.

Electoral Politics: His work details key political developments, including election analysis (voter turnout records), party organizational changes (like the end of C R Patil’s tenure as BJP chief), and campaign dynamics.

... Read More Brendan Dabhi works with The Indian Express, focusing his comprehensive reporting primarily on Gujarat. He covers the region's most critical social, legal, and administrative sectors, notably specializing at the intersection of health, social justice, and disasters.

Expertise Health and Public Policy: He has deep expertise in healthcare issues, including rare diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the complex logistics of organ transplants, and public health challenges like drug-resistant TB and heat health surveillance.

His on-ground reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic and Mucormycosis was critical in exposing healthcare challenges faced by marginalized communities in Gujarat. Social Justice and Legal Administration: He reports on the functioning of the legal and police system, including the impact of judicial philosophy, forensics and crucial administrative reforms (.

He covers major surveillance and crackdown exercises by the Gujarat police and security on the international border. Disaster and Crisis Management: His work closely tracks how government and civic bodies respond to large-scale crises, providing essential coverage on the human and administrative fallout of disasters including cyclones, floods, conflict, major fires and reported extensively on the AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad.

Civic Infrastructure and Governance: Provides timely reports on critical civic failures, including large scale infrastructure projects by the railways and civic bodies, as well as the enforcement of municipal regulations and their impact on residents and heritage.

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