90 Percent of Annual Rainfall Already Recorded in Gujarat

Gujarat has received over 90 per cent of the average annual rainfall so far, more than half of it in August alone, officials said on Saturday. Water stock in the dams in the state has reached nearly 62 per cent of the gross storage capacity.

Against 821 mm of average annual rainfall, the state till Friday had received 754.12 mm or 90.75 per cent rains,the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said. It received 403.22 mm rainfall in August alone, it said.

Kutch has so far received 159.12 per cent of average annual rainfall, followed by Saurashtra at 121.60 per cent,south Gujarat at 83.40 per cent, east central Gujarat at 69.58 per cent and north Gujarat at 67.87 per cent. Devbhumi Dwarka in Saurashtra has received 255.18 percent rainfall, the highest in the state, while Dahod in east-central Gujarat has received the lowest 44.29 per cent rain,it said.

At least 66 out of 206 dams, including 52 in Saurashtra, have reached their full capacity, the state water resource department said. Dams in the state have reached 61.87 per cent of their gross storage capacity, the department said.

Sardar Sarovar dam, the largest in the state, is 57.10 per cent full. On Friday, monsoon remained vigorous over Saurashtra-Kutch region and active across the state, with Valsad in south Gujarat receiving very heavy showers, said the Ahmedabad centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Heavy rainfall was reported on Saturday in Devbhumi Dwarka district of Saurashtra as well as in Mehsana, Aravalli and Panchmahal districts. As per the IMD data, Halvad tehsil in Devbhumi Dwarka received 126 mm rainfall between 6 am and 2 pm on Saturday,followed by Satlasana in Mehsana with 120 mm rainfall, Bhiloda in Aravalli with 90 mm and Shahera in Panchmahal with 75 mm rainfall in the same period.

In 24 hours till Saturday morning, Umargam and Vapi in Valsad district received very heavy showers of 150 and 102 mm respectively, it said. At least 102 roads, including six state highways in Anand, Kutch, Bharuch, Surat and Junagadh districts, werec losed due to heavy rains, an official said.

The MeT department has predicted widespread rainfall in Gujarat till Monday, with heavy to very heavy showers in some districts.

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