Rains lash Ahmedabad, heavy downpour in parts of Guj

Rains lashed the city for the second successive day today resulting in water-logging and traffic jams while heavy downpour was reported from south Gujarat and Saurashtra regions, officials said.

A tree fell in the old Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) office premises in Shahibaug area while another one fell near Kalupur grain market, an Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation official said, adding that no casualties were reported from anywhere.

Of the six zones in the city, the central zone received the highest rainfall - 45 mm till afternoon, the official said, adding that west and new west zones recorded 30.83 mm and 29.10 mm rains, respectively.

The south zone received 28.33 mm rainfall, while north and east zone had 13 mm and 7 mm rains, respectively, the official added.

Many low-lying areas reported water-logging and people found it difficult to navigate through knee-deep water. Serpentine queues were witnessed at several traffic junctions.

In rural Ahmedabad, Detroj taluka received 47 mm rains in the last 24 hours while Balasinor and Kathlal talukas in central Gujarat's Kheda district recorded 146 mm and 130 mm rainfall, respectively.

Umreth taluka in Anand district recorded 112 mm rainfall while Gandevi taluka in south Gujarat's Navsari district received 111 mm rains.

Veraval in Junagadh district recorded 150 mm downpour while Gondal in Rajkot district received 50 mm rains.

The meteorological department has forecast heavy rains across Gujarat over the next 24 hours.

"The upper air cyclonic circulation still persists over Saurashtra and adjoining north-east Arabian Sea upto mid tropospheric level," Indian Meteorological Department regional director Jayant Sarkar said.

"As a result of this, widespread rains are expected over the entire state. Heavy to very heavy rains may lash Jamnagar, Junagadh and Porbandar in Saurashtra region," he said, adding that except Kutch, the entire state will receive widespread rains.