Remnants of cyclone bring very heavy rain in north Guj

AHMEDABAD: Parts of north Gujarat received extremely heavy rains in the last 24 hours as the intensity of Cyclone Biparjoy gradually reduced from a very severe cyclonic storm to a “depression”, officials said on Sunday.
Authorities were on their toes in Banaskantha and Patan districts and relocated thousands of people residing in low-lying areas to safer places, they said.
Remnants of Cyclone Biparjoy lay as a “depression” over south Rajasthan and it was likely to maintain its intensity on Sunday and bring rainfall in parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
The depression over central parts of south Rajasthan and neighbourhood moved east-northeast wards with a speed of 10 kmph during the past six hours and lay centered around 40 km east-southeast of Jodhpur, the IMD said in its Sunday bulletin.
As the cyclone receded further and reduced its intensity from a “very severe cyclonic storm” to “depression” after making landfall in Gujarat on Thursday evening, it brought extremely heavy rainfall in several parts of north Gujarat districts of Banaskantha and Patan, throwing normal life out of gear.
Amirgarh taluka in Banaskantha district was battered with 206 mm rainfall in 24 hours till 6 pm on Sunday, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said.
Danta and Dhanera talukas in Banaskantha district received 168 and 164 mm rainfall, respectively. Posina (151 mm) in Sabarkantha, as well as Dantiwada (150), Palanpur (136), Deesa (132) and Deodar (101)?? in Banaskantha, and Santalpur (134) and Radhanpur (125) in Patan districts were among talukas that received more than 100 mm rainfall during this period, the SEOC said.
The IMD has forecast light to moderate rainfall with isolated extremely heavy rainfall in north Gujarat and southwest and northeast Rajasthan regions on Sunday. Rainfall may cause inundation and damage loose structures, the IMD said. PTI