Surat: A fierce spell of monsoon rain on Monday exposed cracks in Surat’s stormwater drainage system as 122mm of precipitation led to flooded roads and shops, paralysing traffic at key location. Even areas that had escaped major flooding in past monsoons found themselves under water, raising fresh questions over the city’s drainage preparedness.Several localities reporting flooding after as little as 30 minutes of rain. Roads were submerged, traffic slowed to a crawl and business suffered.Residents in areas such as Vesu, Athwalines, City Light and Adajan faced severe inconvenience as rainwater accumulated on roads, forcing diversions and causing long traffic snarls.In Bhatar and Ved Darwaja, water entered shops, with traders reporting losses worth lakhs. Major roads in industrial hubs such as Pandesara and Udhna were also affected, disrupting trade and industrial activity.Although the water receded in a few hours at many places, the sudden and intense spell brought life to a standstill across large parts of the city.According to data from the district flood control room, all talukas of Surat district received rain between 6am and 6pm. The district recorded average rainfall of 37.17mm during the 12-hour period.Surat city got 122mm of rainfall, including an intense 105mm between 4pm and 6pm, causing rapid accumulation of water across several areas.Police said two 25-year-old men died after being struck by lightning in Rander.“They were near their home in Sujat Khan Street near Moti Masjid in Rander. We are investigating the incident,” police said.After the flooding, teams of the Surat Municipal Corporation were seen opening and cleaning stormwater drain manholes that had got clogged with waste. The civic body maintained that pre-monsoon preparedness work had been completed before the onset of the rains.Elsewhere in the district, Kamrej recorded 154mm of rain between 6am and 8pm. Bardoli got 41mm, Ambika 53mm and Mangrol 65mm.Rain damage was also reported from rural areas. In Phulwadi village of Mahuva taluka, wind and rain damaged the rear portion of a house belonging to one Suresh Patel. In Bambhaniya village of Ambika taluka, part of an old house collapsed.In Valsad district, Pardi recorded 115mm, Vapi 111mm and Nanapondha 110mm between 6am and 8pm. In Navsari district, Khergam received 79mm, while Dolvan in Tapi district recorded 89mm of rain.
