At least one killed in Tapi district as 1,200 others rescued from rain-hit areas in Gujarat

Around 1,200 people were rescued and hundreds were shifted to safer places due to heavy downpour in south Gujarat districts, where Umbergaon taluka received more than 1,100 mm of rain in just 16 hours, an official said on Thursday (July 23, 2026).

While a rain-related death was reported in Tapi district, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the state’s SDRF, as well as the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Coast Guard, were alerted for rescue efforts, he said.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel reviewed the rain situation and also spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who assured the Gujarat government that all necessary assistance would be provided.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to Mr Patel over the phone to assess the situation. Officials said the Chief Minister assured that all possible assistance would be provided from the Central Government for the relief, rescue and safety of citizens in the state.

‘Red’ alert in South Gujarat districts

According to State Emergency Operation Center (SEOC) data, Valsad district was the worst affected by the recent rains; Umbergaon taluka received over 1,100 mm of rain between 6 am on Wednesday (July 23, 2026) and 10 am on Thursday.

It was stated that many other talukas in the region received over 600 mm of rainfall during the same period.

Relief Commissioner Gaurang Makwana said the ‘red alert’ warning of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall for the southern districts of Valsad, Navsari, Surat and Tapi has been in force since Wednesday and NDRF and SDRF teams have been deployed there for rescue operations.

“The Air Force and Coast Guard are also on alert and people will be transported by plane if necessary once weather conditions improve,” he told reporters.

Mr Makwana stated that due to the increased intensity of rainfall, deployment of disaster management personnel has been increased and rescue operations are being carried out in coordination with the administration, police and local volunteers.

“So far, 1,200 people have been rescued and 1,500 residents of Surat have been shifted to safe areas. In Navsari district, 200 people who were stranded in 11 villages due to the rise in water level in Kaveri River have been rescued and shifted to a safe place,” the IAS official said.

He said senior officials, including district collectors and memlatdars (revenue department staff), have been deployed in rain-affected areas.

The Relief Commissioner stated that due to heavy rains, more than 300 roads were temporarily closed, the services of more than 200 state buses were affected and power outages were reported in many regions.

While two NDRF and five SDRF teams are based in Surat, two NDRF teams and four SDRF teams are deployed in Valsad. According to Makwana, 21 NDRF teams and two SDRF teams are being mobilized from Surat for Navsari.

SDRF and NDRF teams are also on standby in Amreli, Junagadh and Bhavnagar, he added.

Prime Minister Patel visited the State Emergency Operation Center in Gandhinagar and reviewed the situation arising due to heavy rains, especially in south Gujarat, and made an official statement. The statement said that he spoke to Minister Naresh Patel and Valsad collector about the situation in the area and took details of rescue and relief efforts from them and assured them to send additional NDRF teams if necessary.

The CM also spoke to the district collectors of Surat and Navsari and instructed them to move people from low-lying areas and waterlogged areas to safe places.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red rain alert for Valsad, Navsari, Dangs, Surat, Tapi districts on Thursday and Friday.

Local fire personnel in Surat rescued scores of people using boats and shifted them to safer areas. Ministry officials said they evacuated 40 residents of the Pandesara area due to waterlogging.

Many talukas in Surat district such as Umarpada, Ambika, Palsana and Mahuva experienced heavy rains on Wednesday.

Surat collector Tejas Parmar, in his video message, said that heavy rains were recorded in Umarpada, Bardoli, Mahuva and Kamrej talukas.

Rains have also ravaged the city of Ahmedabad since the morning of Thursday, July 23, 2026, submerging many residential areas and blocking many underpasses, disrupting life.

Many Mumbai-bound trains were either canceled or stopped briefly due to the rise in water levels along railway routes in south Gujarat. Western Railway has introduced a helpdesk for the convenience of passengers.

Heavy rains caused damage in Dediapada and Sagbara talukas of Narmada district, leaving many villages disconnected and uncommunicative.

IMD has issued a red alert for three districts – Panchmahal, Dahod and Mahisagar – all located in central Gujarat. An orange alert (indicating very heavy rainfall) has been issued for 11 regions, and a yellow alert (moderate to heavy rainfall) has been issued for 10 regions.

While rain deficit continues in other parts of the state, south Gujarat has already received more than 62% of the average seasonal rainfall, SEOC data shows. The data showed that overall the state received about 36% of its annual average rainfall during the season.

It was published – 23 July 2026 16:01 IST