Uneven Monsoon Deluge: South Gujarat and Saurashtra Drenched as Kutch and North Gujarat Stay Parched

Gujarat’s 2026 monsoon season is laying bare a sharp geographical divide across the state. While continuous heavy downpours and rising river levels have flooded South Gujarat and parts of Saurashtra—forcing thousands from their homes and putting 12 major reservoirs on high alert—large areas of Kutch and North Gujarat are facing a serious shortage of rain.

Figures from the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) in Gandhinagar show that the state has recorded an average of 261.59 mm of rain so far. This is just 28.78% of its expected season total. However, a closer look at the region-by-region data shows that almost all the rainfall has been concentrated in the southern and coastal districts.

A Tale of Two Monsoons: South Gujarat vs The Rest

South Gujarat is taking the main brunt of this year's monsoon. It has already logged 668.65 mm of average rainfall—an impressive 43.36% of its seasonal average. Saurashtra is the second most active area, reaching 30.25% of its seasonal expectation with 230.58 mm of rain. In stark contrast, Kutch has received a paltry 17.10 mm of rain, which amounts to a mere 3.42% of its normal seasonal share. In fact, Kutch recorded no rain at all during the 24 hours leading up to Tuesday morning. North Gujarat has done only slightly better, sitting at 14.66% of its seasonal average with 107.05 mm.

Travel Disrupted in Flooded Areas

Damage to local roads remains limited to the flooded southern districts. A total of 166 roads are currently closed to traffic across Gujarat, including 108 village roads in Valsad and 46 in Navsari.

With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting further heavy rain over South Gujarat and warning fishermen to stay out of the sea until 23 July, the state remains split between managing floods in the south and waiting for rain in the north.

Fresh Spells Keep Focus on the South

The latest 24-hour rainfall numbers show the same pattern, with the state’s daily average of 14.25 mm coming almost entirely from heavy spells in the south. Pardi taluka in Valsad district topped the chart with 208 mm (8.19 inches), followed closely by Khergam in Navsari at 202 mm (7.95 inches), Nanapondha at 182 mm, and Vapi at 182 mm.

Between 6:00 AM and 12:00 PM on Tuesday, fresh rainfall continued to fall almost exclusively in southern towns:

• Navsari (Navsari): 68 mm
• Jalalpore (Navsari): 66 mm
• Chikhli (Navsari): 62 mm
• Palsana (Surat): 60 mm
• Bardoli (Surat): 58 mm
• Gandevi (Navsari): 58 mm

Reservoir Levels Highlight Regional Divide

The unequal rainfall is also clear in the water levels of the state's dams. The Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada River now holds 226,321 million cubic feet of water, bringing its total level to 67.74%.

Across the state's 206 other reservoirs, water storage stands at 40.90%. Six dams have reached 100% capacity and are overflowing—and all of them are located in Saurashtra, South Gujarat, and East-Central areas. These include Dhatarvadi and Surajwadi in Amreli, Rojki and Shetrunji in Bhavnagar, Vansal in Surendranagar, and Doswada in Tapi. In total, 12 dams have been put on High Alert, two on Alert, and 13 on Warning status—nearly all located in the heavy rain zones of South Gujarat and Saurashtra.