Crores in Losses for Surat Traders as Rains Ease After Deluge

With the intensity of rainfall easing across Gujarat, traders in Surat have begun assessing the scale of losses after torrential rain inundated thousands of basement and ground-floor shops, destroying goods worth crores of rupees and leaving businesses struggling to recover.

The improvement in weather comes after one of the heaviest spells of rain in recent days, with the latest State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) data indicating that rainfall activity has slowed considerably across the state. Between 8 am and 10 am on Wednesday, the highest rainfall was recorded in Nanapondha (Valsad) at 12 mm, followed by Kaprada (Valsad) and Jhagadia (Bharuch) with 8 mm each, suggesting the intense downpours witnessed over the past few days have subsided.

Businesses begin clean-up after flooding

More than 14 inches of rain that lashed Surat in a single day left widespread damage across commercial areas, with rainwater entering thousands of shops located in basements and on the ground floors of buildings.

Businesses dealing in textiles, electronics, groceries, furniture, mobile phones and cosmetics reported extensive losses after merchandise remained submerged for hours.

Electrical appliances, including refrigerators, computers and machinery, were also damaged as floodwater entered commercial establishments.

Traders pump out water

With rainfall easing, traders on Wednesday began pumping water out of flooded shops using motor pumps and generators.

The clean-up has proved challenging as thick layers of mud and debris accumulated inside many premises, forcing shop owners to spend hours clearing sludge before assessing the extent of the damage.

According to initial estimates, commercial losses across the city are expected to run into several crores of rupees.

Railway station area worst hit

Among the worst-affected locations was the Surat Railway Station area, where floodwaters rose to an estimated 6 to 7 feet.

Locals said the force of the water was so strong that heavy iron girders were swept away and carried towards nearby shops.

Vehicles submerged in basements

Flooding also affected parking basements in several apartment complexes across the city, submerging cars, motorcycles and other vehicles for several hours.

After the water receded, many vehicle owners found their vehicles would not start, raising fears of extensive damage to engines, electrical systems and other components.

Rain Slows Down

Meanwhile, Wednesday brought some breathing room for the region, as only one of the talukas of Surat district received the rain.

On the other side of the spectrum, during the 24-hour period ending 6 am on July 8, Palsana in Surat district recorded the state's highest rainfall of 462 mm (18.19 inches), followed by Kamrej (442 mm) and Navsari taluka (388 mm). Surat district dominated the list of highest rainfall recipients, with Surat City receiving 358 mm, Kaprada in Valsad 322 mm, Jalalpore 280 mm, Bardoli 238 mm, Ambika 235 mm and Dolvan in Tapi 226 mm during the period.