GANDHINAGAR: As heavy downpour continues to batter the state of Gujarat, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has instructed officials on Sunday regarding the evacuation of people from low-lying areas to safe places.

According to a statement from the CMO, Valsad, Tapi, Navsari, Surat, Narmada, and Panchmahal districts of South Gujarat have been most affected by the heavy rainfall.

The Chief Minister also held a telephonic conversation with the collectors of the abovementioned rain affected districts to get the details of the entire situation. He also assured SDRF-NDRF of complete assistance from the state.

Meanwhile, in the details received by the State Emergency Operation Centre of the state, it has come to the fore that the highest rainfall was 64 mm in Sagabara taluk of Narmada district from 6 am to 8 am on Sunday.

The maximum rainfall in the last 24 hours has been 326 mm recorded in Vapi, Valsad.

Normal life has been affected in parts of the state due to heavy rainfall and waterlogging.

"There has been around 120 mm of rainfall in the city of Valsad since last night...Keeping this in mind, the water level in Kashmir Nagar of Valsad has started rising. So people are being shifted from here. So far, about a hundred families have been shifted..." said Valsad SDM Astha Solanki.

Indian Meterological Department issued a red alert on Sunday, warning "extremely heavy rainfall may occur" in the state of Gujarat.

IMD has also issued red alert for East Rajasthan, West Madhya Pradesh, Konkan and Goa, Central Maharashtra and North-Eastern states of Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura.

Orange alert has been issued for West Rajasthan, gangetic West Bengal, Coastal Karnataka and North-Eastern states of Assam and Meghalaya.