Indian Army Saves Over 790 Lives, Ends Flood‑Relief Drive in Gujarat and Dadra & Nagar Haveli

Ahmedabad, July 26 2026 – After three intense days of battling rising waters, the Indian Army has finally called off its major flood‑relief and rescue mission in Gujarat and the Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli. In total, more than 790 stranded residents were plucked to safety.

The operation kicked off on July 23 under the Southern Command, after relentless monsoon rains turned large swathes of the region into a watery maze. Relief columns – complete with engineers, medical teams and logistics staff – were dispatched in lock‑step with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the State Emergency Operations Centre and a host of local volunteers.

Army units fanned out across the hardest‑hit districts – Navsari, Valsad, Vapi, Silvassa and flood‑ravaged pockets of Ahmedabad district such as Dholka and Rajoda. Wherever the water made roads impassable, soldiers waded in, hoisted boats, and ferried families to higher ground. By the time the mission wrapped, more than 790 civilians had been evacuated to safety.

Medical teams were on standby the whole time, handing out first‑aid, treating minor injuries and ensuring that those who’d been drenched got clean water and basic supplies. Relief personnel handed out food packets, bottled water and blankets, trying to replace what the floods had ripped away.

Beyond the immediate rescues, the army lent a hand to the civil administration in restoring essential services – electricity, drinking‑water pipelines and road connectivity – in the hard‑hit zones. Their presence helped keep the wheels of recovery turning even as the rain finally began to let up.

The Ministry of Defence praised the “close cooperation” between the armed forces, disaster‑response agencies, civil authorities and volunteers, calling the effort a textbook example of coordinated military‑civil action born out of careful planning and joint preparedness.

“The successful conduct of the operations once again underscores the Indian Army’s unwavering commitment to the Nation and its people,” the Ministry said. “Ever prepared to respond in times of crisis, the Indian Army remains steadfast in extending humanitarian assistance whenever called upon.”

While the army steps back, other agencies keep the momentum. The Indian Coast Guard reported rescuing 170 people through 11 operations in Daman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and South Gujarat. State authorities, NDRF and SDRF continue to monitor the situation, ready to spring into action if waters rise again.

With the heaviest monsoon showers now easing, the Gujarat government is shifting gears from emergency rescue to restoration and rehabilitation – assessing damage, repairing transport links and reinstating utilities. Though the crisis has passed, the lessons learned and the lives saved will linger long after the waters recede.