Junagadh, Amreli battered, woman swept away in river

Rajkot: After nearly 50 days, Saurashtra was once again pummelled by downpours that triggered flash floods in Junagadh and Amreli districts on Monday.Visavadar, Mendarda, and Vanthli talukas of Junagadh reeled under an extremely heavy wet spell, snapping commutation with a large number of villagesTwo state highways - Junagadh-Dhandhusar and Visavadar-Dhari - and six internal highways were closed for traffic due to heavy waterlogging, and an alert was sounded in 43 villages located downstream of dams. Eight dams out of 15 in the two districts were overflowing as the major rivers like Ozat, Rupen, Sonrakh, and Kalva were in spate.Junagadh collector Anil Ranavasiya told TOI: “We made all rescue and relief arrangements considering that the flood waters may gush into the villages of Manavadar, Keshod, and Vanthli talukas, in the night. One NDRF team is on standby in the city.” A search operation for a woman named Rani Ghodhadar was undertaken after she was swept away in the turbulent waters in the flooded Koylana village of Manavadar taluka.Sources, however, said the national highway from Rajkot to Somnath is motorable.Torrential rainfall also disrupted normal life in Rajkot and Jamnagar districts as there was heavy water logging on the roads, resulting in severe traffic snarls. An old tree got uprooted on Nana Mauva Road in Rajkot and collapsed on a rickshaw. However, nobody was injured.

Flash floods wash away culvert on Jammu-Rajouri highway, traffic diverted to link roads

Flash floods caused by heavy rainfall in Jammu washed away a temporary culvert on the Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch national highway, resulting in the suspension of traffic on the highway. As a result, vehicles were redirected to alternative routes via Beri-Pattan-Sunderbani and Kalakote. Efforts are being made to restore the highway, which had been closed for the construction of a bridge at Rajal Top. Heavy and passenger vehicles were rerouted through Kalakote-Rajouri, while private and light motor vehicles were redirected through Beri-Pattan-Sunderbani road.

Flash floods wash away culvert on Jammu-Rajouri highway, traffic diverted to links roads

Traffic on the Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch national highway has been suspended after heavy rainfall caused a temporary culvert to wash away. Traffic has been diverted to link roads via Beri Pattan-Sunderbani and Kalakote. The main highway was closed a month ago due to construction work on a bridge, and a temporary culvert was built. Efforts to restore traffic are ongoing, but it is expected to take some time.

Maharashtra govt renames talukas, districts Sambhajinagar, Dharashiv

The state government of Maharashtra has announced the renaming of Aurangabad and Osmanabad talukas to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv, respectively. The decision, which fulfills a long-pending demand, was made public just hours before a special cabinet meeting. However, the renaming has faced criticism from those opposing the decision, with some claiming that the government has shown a lack of respect for the judiciary. The decision will now face a legal test as the matter is pending before the court.