Hundreds of people were evacuated after swollen rivers and overflowing dams cut off several villages and inundated low-lying areas in many parts of Gujarat amid torrential downpours on Wednesday, officials said.Normal life was thrown out of gear as heavy rains pounded the south and central Gujarat districts like Surat, Bharuch and Anand since morning, prompting the authorities to declare a holiday for schools and colleges in some places, they said.
Train services were also affected in some areas.
The administration in the rain-battered districts deployed personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local fire teams to rescue people from flooded areas and relocate them to safe places.