Heavy monsoon downpours have submerged a critical stretch of the Somnath Coastal Highway in Madhavpur Ghed, located along the shores of Porbandar district. The incessant rainfall has triggered extensive waterlogging, paralyzing road movement and raising alarms about the region's infrastructure resilience.
Coastal Highway Under Water
According to reports, the Somnath Coastal Highway, an essential artery connecting coastal towns—has been severely waterlogged, disrupting vehicular movement and posing hazards to daily commuters. ANI captured visuals revealing the extent of inundation along this heavily trafficked route.
Monsoon Rains Worsening Across Coastal Gujarat
This localised incident is part of a broader surge in monsoon activity across southern and coastal Gujarat. Communities across Saurashtra are grappling with the deluge: Mendarda witnessed a staggering 331 mm of rainfall in just 12 hours, including 196 mm within a two-hour window, resulting in widespread flash floods. Multiple districts like Junagadh, Amreli, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar among them have been hit especially hard, with dozens of villages cut off and farm land, highways, and rural roads engulfed in floodwaters.
Authorities are scrambling to mitigate the crisis. The NDRF and local fire units have evacuated hundreds of residents from flood-prone areas such as Manavadar, Keshod, and Mangrol. Additionally, highway inundation has forced use of boats for rescue operations, and electricity and communication networks have been disrupted across affected zones.
Widespread Impact Across Saurashtra
The devastation was not confined to Junagadh alone. Heavy rainfall battered parts of Amreli, Porbandar, and Devbhumi Dwarka, overwhelming drainage systems and snapping power lines. Vast agricultural belts now lie submerged, raising concerns over crop loss in the middle of the kharif season.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has attributed the sudden surge in rainfall to a deep depression over the Arabian Sea, which is funneling moisture-laden winds into coastal Gujarat. With forecasts predicting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall until August 27, authorities remain on high alert.