Heavy rains cripple transport movements in Gujarat

Ahmedabad: Recent heavy rains in various parts of Gujarat have severely impacted the transport movement across the state, leading to significant disruptions in the supply chain and logistics sector. The relentless downpour on Tuesday caused waterlogging on major highways, bringing transportation operations almost to a halt.Estimates by Akhil Gujarat Truck Transport Association (AGTTA) suggest that the transport movement is reported to be 80% less than usual within Gujarat, severely affecting the movement of goods to ports and stalling dispatches from key industrial hubs.With many highways waterlogged and service roads submerged, trucks have been unable to move through the state, leading to a virtual standstill in transport activities. The situation has been particularly dire on major routes such as Ahmedabad-Palanpur and Kalol-Mehsana, where severe waterlogging and poor road conditions have crippled traffic.The staff shortage due to the inclement weather has further aggravated the situation. Many workers have been unable to reach warehouses, which themselves are waterlogged, leading to delays in loading and unloading operations in Central, North and South Gujarat regions."The road conditions on the Ahmedabad-Vadodara route have also worsened, with slow-moving traffic causing major delays. In Vadodara, the situation has been so severe that no vehicles have been able to enter the city. On the other hand, the Bharuch-Ankleshwar stretch has witnessed one of the worst traffic congestions, with vehicles stranded for up to nine hours. Although rainfall has fairly reduced in areas like Surat, the poor road conditions continue to hamper transport movements, creating a logistical nightmare for businesses relying on timely deliveries," said Mukesh Dave, president, AGTTA.According to transport industry players, the situation in Kutch is equally concerning, with the Radhanpur-Palanpur route seeing diversions that have choked up port traffic entirely."The rainfall situation, however, has not affected port and export-import activity around Kandla and Mundra," said a senior official of Mundra Custom Brokers' Association.