Gujarat rains displace 38,000; Army, NDRF started rescue operations

“Relentless downpours paralyzed Gujarat for the third consecutive day on Friday (July 24, 2026), cutting off dozens of villages and disrupting life, with 38,000 people shifted to safer places and over 352 rescued,” officials said.

With more than 400 mm of rainfall recorded in some places in 24 hours, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Army teams swung into action in flooded areas, while authorities closed schools and canceled Mumbai-bound trains.

Valsad, Navsari and Surat districts of south Gujarat and Ahmedabad and Kheda districts in the central part of the state experienced very heavy downpours during 24 hours which ended at 6 am. A fresh spell of rain lashed Vav-Tharad, Amreli and Kheda districts since morning, keeping the administration on alert.

“As many as 38,000 people have been displaced so far, mainly from Navsari and Valsad districts. Most of these people have moved to their relatives’ homes, while around 2,000 have been shifted to shelters. A total of 352 people have been rescued so far,” Relief Commissioner Gaurang Makwana said. He said one death has been officially reported in Tapa and more information is being gathered from the affected areas.

“Four NDRF teams airlifted from Odisha have landed in Surat and have been sent to Valsad and Navsari and one has been kept on alert in Surat,” he said. “Two army convoys have reached Valsad and Navsari and two more teams have been dispatched to the affected areas. Depending on the requirements and the evolving situation on Friday (July 24, 2026), more teams will be deployed,” Mr Makwana said.

According to the 24-hour rainfall data shared by the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC), Mehmedabad in Kheda received 507mm of rainfall, followed by Dholka in Ahmedabad (473mm), Chikhli in Navsari (451mm), Umbergaon in Valsad (434mm) and Khergam in Navsari (434mmsari). “As many as 35 taluks in the state received more than 200 mm rainfall during this period,” it said.

Deodar in Vav-Tharad district received 153 mm of rain in four hours from 6:00 am on Friday (July 24, 2026), followed by Mehmedabad in Kheda, which received 129 mm. Patan, Amreli and Banaskantha were the other districts to be hit by fresh monsoon since Friday (July 24, 2026) morning, the data showed.

Thousands of flood-affected people in Valsad, Navsari, Ahmedabad, Kheda and Dangs were shifted to safer places and hundreds were rescued with the help of NDRF and SDRF, while the Army and Coast Guard were also on standby.

“Army convoys of the Golden Kartar Division, deployed in urban and rural areas of Valsad, Navsari and Ahmedabad, were rescuing stranded civilians and providing necessary assistance,” said PRO Defense Gujarat on X. Rivers, including Ambika in Tapi district, and Par, Auranga and Daman Ganga were overflowing and inundating low-lying areas along the banks.

In Ahmedabad, the downpours knocked out life, made roads inaccessible and forced the closure of dozens of subways. The state government has declared holidays for schools and colleges in the rain-affected areas.

“As many as five trains to Mumbai have been canceled on Friday (July 24, 2026) due to waterlogging on railway lines in south Gujarat,” officials said. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel instructed the administration to remain on high alert and monitor the situation closely.

As the flood situation worsened in Valsad district and Umbergaon taluka received over 1300 mm rainfall in two days, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi reached there and took stock of the situation. Due to heavy rains and the release of water from the Madhuban dam, the rivers were flowing rapidly. The minister was informed that about 12,376 people have been evacuated and moved to safer places so far.

The state government has deployed 17 senior officers in Valsad district to deal with the flood situation and Mr. Sanghavi expressed hope that the area will recover quickly, the report said. He suggested holding a meeting with the insurance company regarding the damage caused to traders and merchants and try to approve people’s claims as soon as possible, she said.

The IMD on Friday (July 24, 2026) issued a red alert for Mahisanagar, Panchmahal and Dahod and an orange alert for several districts of south and central Gujarat, including Valsad, Tapi, Navsari, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Kheda, Gandhinagar and Anand, etc.

According to the IMD forecast, the extreme rains are likely to ease from Monday (July 27, 2026) with Sabarkantha and Aravalli being placed in the orange alert zone on Saturday (July 25, 2026) and Banaskantha and Sabarkantha on Sunday (July 26, 2026).

Published – 24 Jul 2026 16:02 IST