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India Today
25-06-2025
- Climate
- India Today
Mapped: Floods in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana and Haryana
Several states have been reeling under floods caused by the onset of monsoon. Cities in different parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh in south and west; and even Haryana in the north have seen flooding in recent India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued fresh weather warnings on June 25 as the monsoon gained strength across the country. Heavy rainfall, lightning, and strong winds were reported from Gujarat to Haryana, Telangana, and Maharashtra. Several states have experienced flash floods, landslides, and widespread Satellite imagery analysed by India Today's OSINT team using Sentinel-1 SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) data revealed that large areas of land were submerged under floodwaters across the states of Gujarat, Telangana, and high rainfall was reported in Kurukshetra district of Haryana, and extremely heavy rainfall in Nandod and Lunawada in Gujarat over the past 48 hours. In many regions, rivers crossed danger marks and local administrations were forced to evacuate low-lying to limited satellite coverage, flood points could only be visualised in the western districts of Gujarat — Kutch, Morbi, Jamnagar, and Devbhumi Dwarka — where remote sensing data indicated moderate to heavy reports also indicate severe flooding in several eastern districts of the state, including Surat, Nandod, Dahod, Chhota Udepur, Panchmahal, Valsad, and Tapi. Heavy rains caused the Tapi river, which passes through the city and various creeks, to swell, resulting in waterlogging in low-lying residential areas. Some villages were completely submerged in rain water, creating a flood-like city received 346 mm (or more than 13 inches) rainfall in 24 hours ending 6 am on Tuesday, while another 66 mm (nearly 2.6 inches) rainfall was registered in the subsequent 12 hours (ending 6 pm), Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agarwal districts in Maharashtra, including Nashik, Pune, Satara, Kolhapur, Amravati, and Yavatmal, received moderate to heavy was reported in the Krishna and Godavari river basins in Telangana, primarily affecting the districts of Nalgonda, Adilabad, and Nizamabad.- EndsMust Watch
Indian Express
23-06-2025
- Climate
- Indian Express
2,639 persons rescued across state, Surat city records 242 mm of rain in eight hours as downpour disrupts life for second day
Heavy rain continued to lash Surat city for the second consecutive day Monday, throwing life out of gear even as 2,639 persons were rescued in Gujarat and relocated to safer locations. Owing to the upper air cyclonic circulation over Saurashtra and Kutch, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heavy rainfall warning in Gujarat till June 30. The downpour prompted mid-session closures of schools, cancellation of over 200 city bus trips and diversion of routes for others in Surat city. According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), Surat city was inundated with extremely heavy rainfall of 242 mm or 9.5 inch recorded within eight hours, of which 135 mm was received in barely two hours, from 8 till 10 am, on Monday. 'No casualty was reported from Surat city. At least 112 persons, including children were rescued and relocated from waterlogged areas including schools, tuition classes and stuck vehicles,' Surat Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agarwal told The Indian Express. 'In one of the rare incidents, Surat city recorded almost 10 inch rainfall within 10 hours. Earlier, the city had received a maximum of 7 inch rainfall in 24 hours,' Agarwal said. On Monday, eight children were rescued from a tuition class in the Rander area, said officials while providing details of the rescues. Officials said 18 persons, including 16 staff members of a private hospital and two patients were also rescued from the Rander area. At least 18 persons stuck in a bank in Varachha and six people stuck in a car in Athwa were relocated when the causeway in Rander was flooded, said officials. In a separate incident, two students who had gone to take their Board exams and were stuck on the Ved Road near Akhand Anand College, were also rescued, said officials. Four students stuck in a car near Sarthana fire station were also relocated to safer areas. A student stuck in P M Bhagat School in Katargam was rescued by the Fire Department. Among the badly-affected talukas of Surat district were Kamrej (187 mm), Palsana (160 mm), Bardoli (122 mm), Olpad (107 mm), Chorasi (90 mm), Mangrol (80 mm) and Mandvi (77 mm). On Sunday, the city had received 7.22 inches (183mm) of rain. At least 1,000 schools in Surat city were shut, said sources. In the Varachha area, officials from the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) fire department rescued 28 students from a school run by the Unnati Charitable Trust after the premises were surrounded by floodwater. The students were shifted to safer locations. Even as several areas remained inundated on Monday, many colleges and schools were closed by the authorities. At a few schools, the authorities had to inform parents to pick up their wards from the premises with the buildings under deluge. Parents could be seen walking in knee-level deep water to take their children back. According to a statement from the Surat district Education Department, owing to the downpour on Monday, District Collector Dr Sourabh Pardhi 'instructed the schools to give students a holiday in the morning and afternoon session'. 'The school authorities should ensure that students reach home safely,' said the Education Department statement. Despite the disruptions, the Board exams for students reappearing for Class 10 and 12 were conducted at regular timings in Surat city on Monday. The SMC also undertook water de-pumping operations in low-lying and waterlogged areas, including Kaskiwad in Bhagal (Central Zone), Dhanmora Complex in Adajan (Rander Zone), Hodi Bungalow (Central Zone), Gotalwadi (Katargam Zone), and Prime Arcade (Rander Zone). Traffic resumed after water levels subsided. Due to continuous rain and rising inflow from upper catchment areas into the Tapi river, the weir-cum-causeway was closed to commuters on Monday afternoon. SMC Commissioner Shalini Agrawal monitored the situation from the ICCC (Integrated Command and Control Centre), reviewing CCTV footage and issuing instructions to civic officials for road clearance and traffic management. The Surat division of Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) cancelled over 200 city bus trips, and buses from other districts were diverted to avoid waterlogged routes, said sources. GSRTC officials said buses entering Surat were instructed to halt at the Surat Central Bus Depot or reroute as necessary. Two district panchayat roads in Mandvi taluka were also closed off to the public after they got submerged, officials said. According to the SEOC, out of 251 talukas in Gujarat, 135 received rainfall till Monday 6 pm. Other districts hit by rain included Navsari, Chhota Udepur, Tapi, Morbi, Kheda, Panchmahal and Bharuch. Dolvan in Tapi and Borsad in Anand also received heavy rainfall of 109 mm and 92 mm, respectively, according to the SEOC. Further, the state government data revealed that a total of 2,639 persons were rescued in Gujarat. At least 128 persons were rescued from Bhavnagar, 69 from Amreli, 24 from Botad, 7 from Gandhinagar and one from Dahod, according to the data. Persons shifted to safer locations included 2,308 from Bhavnagar, 134 from Surendranagar, 117 from Botad and 80 from Amreli, according to the data. As per the IMD forecast, a light thunderstorm with lightning and surface wind 30-40 kmph accompanied by light to moderate rain is very likely expected across the state till June 27. On June 24 and 25, heavy rainfall is expected to hit the districts of Gandhinagar, Aravalli, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Anand, Panchmahal, Dahod, Mahisagar, Vadodara, Chhota Udepur, Narmada, Bharuch, Surat, Dang, Navsari, Valsad, Tapi along with districts of Saurashtra namely Rajkot, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Gir Somnath and Botad, according to the forecast.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
States repurpose Smart City SPVs post-mission
New Delhi: After the Centre concluded its 10-year-old Smart Cities Mission in March, state governments are working to maintain the relevance of the special purpose vehicles (SPVs) that were established for the flagship programme. With no funding from the Centre, the SPVs are now functioning as consultancy platforms for municipal corporations in the states and implementing big-ticket urban development projects . However, the biggest task before the state governments is to make the SPVs self-sustainable in the long run. "With the Smart City Mission wrapped up, our top priority is to make SPV s" Surat's municipal commissioner, Shalini Agarwal, told ET. "The projects being implemented by the SPV were transferred to the different departments and all had an in-built operation and maintenance (O&M) clause in tender." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Sàn cao su chất lượng sắp được tặng ở Minh Ngoc Gạch | Quảng cáo tìm kiếm Tìm Ngay Surat was one of the first smart cities to complete all projects under the mission. However, the municipal corporation decided against diluting the SPV. "The integrated command and control centre (ICCC), which is the nerve centre of Surat's urban governance, is being run by the SPV," said Agarwal, adding that the penalties the state imposes-such as those for stray cattle, traffic challans, throwing garbage on the road-all go to the SPV. Live Events "Since capacity and expertise has been built over the years in the SPV, it is now providing consultancy services to other corporations. The consultancy fee collected also goes towards sustaining SPV operations," she said. The Agartala Smart City SPV is now implementing large infrastructure projects and providing consultancy services to keep itself afloat. "Our SPV is self-sustaining, as for the last two years we have been implementing big infrastructure projects," said SK Yadav, CEO of Agartala Smart City. "We levy a 3% consultancy charge for all projects and this sustains our SPV." Yadav said because of the Smart City Mission, the SPV has become proficient in handling big projects. "SPV has a number of consultants in its fold who provide multi-disciplinary expertise. We have retained our staff," said Yadav. The Agartala SPV is implementing ADB- and AFD-funded projects. Chennai and Agra Smart Cities are also following a similar pattern. Senior officials told ET that the SPVs were always lean in terms of administrative structure and have maintained this.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
SMC to engage multiple consultants for drainage projects
Surat: In a bid to ensure more transparency and expedite the execution of drainage network development projects, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has decided to involve multiple consultants , shifting from the current practice of relying on a single firm for city-wide planning and implementation. Since the city's limits expanded in 2020 to cover 462 sq km, the need for an efficient drainage network has grown alongside its rapidly increasing population. Until now, only one consultancy—Green Design and Engineering Services Pvt Ltd—had been tasked with planning, designing, and preparing the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for both stormwater and sewage drainage systems. The firm was awarded a five-year contract in 2023 to develop a comprehensive drainage master plan. However, considering the large-scale infrastructure, municipal commissioner Shalini Agarwal proposed to the Standing Committee that multiple consultants be engaged to speed up the project timeline. The committee approved the proposal on Thursday for a tender-based appointment of additional agencies. "Appointing more than one consultant will allow for faster execution of key infrastructure projects. With the city expanding and its population growing, we need multiple professional agencies to manage the workload effectively," said Rajan Patel, Chairman of the Standing Committee. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Thousands Are Saving Money Using This Wall Plug elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Click Here Undo The consultants will be engaged in various segments of the drainage infrastructure, including the development of sewage networks, pumping stations, sewage treatment plants, disposal lines, and stormwater drainage systems . The SMC's drainage department noted in its report that involving more consultants will foster healthy competition and result in more competitive pricing. Sources in the SMC said that projects worth over Rs 5,000 crore are currently under execution. Notably, the existing consultancy firm drew criticism over the controversial Asarma Tertiary Treatment Plant (TTP) project, where the cost and scale of the work were reportedly escalated without approvals from senior officials.
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Air strike drills to be held in Surat, South Gujarat
Surat: To gauge preparedness for an air strike amid the ongoing tense situation between India and Pakistan, a drill will be held in the city and at all major population centres in South Gujarat on Wednesday. During the drill, citizens have been directed to turn off all lights between 7.30pm and instructions from the Union home ministry, a civil defence drill , Operation Abhyas , has been planned. A meeting of top govt officials in the city was held on Tuesday to discuss the modalities. The drill will be held between 4pm and 8pm. A siren will sound at 4pm, after which a search and rescue drill will be held at five spots. The siren will be played from 51 locations by the Surat Municipal Corporation and by industrial units. Between 7.30pm and 8pm, a blackout will take place during which citizens are supposed to turn off their lights."The objective of the drill is to ensure that both the administration and citizens are prepared for a quick response during emergencies to ensure public safety. The drill simulates a war-like situation to keep citizens safe and alert," said Dr Saurabh Pardhi, district drill will involve simulated responses to potential air strikes, fire, rescue operations, transporting the injured to hospitals and relocating stranded individuals to safe areas. Emergency services will remain operational."It will be a comprehensive drill in which people will participate by turning off lights during the specified time. Fire, police, hospital and other agencies' preparedness will be practised. Streetlights and lights of hoardings will also be turned off," said Shalini Agarwal, the Surat municipal commissioner."People should only turn off their lights and not the power to buildings or their facilities. People should not panic and follow the instructions issued by the govt from time to time," said city police commissioner, Anupam Singh Gahlaut.
