3M India suspends Ahmedabad plant operations due to heavy rainfall and flooding

3M India has temporarily suspended manufacturing operations at its Ahmedabad plant after heavy rainfall and flooding affected the region over the past two days, the company informed stock exchanges on Friday.

In a regulatory filing, the company said operations at the facility had been halted due to severe weather conditions, adding that restoration work is expected to take a few days as water levels continue to recede.

Informing the exchanges, the company said the temporary shutdown was prompted by flooding caused by continuous rainfall in Ahmedabad.

"The manufacturing operations at the Company's Ahmedabad Plant have been temporarily suspended due to heavy rainfall and flooding in the region experienced yesterday and today," the company said.

It added that while floodwaters have started receding, production is unlikely to resume immediately.

"The water level has begun to recede; however, the restoration of operations is expected to take a few days. We are currently assessing the extent of any damage to assets."

3M India said it is evaluating the extent of damage to its assets but clarified that all company assets are adequately insured.

"We would like to clarify that all assets of the Company are adequately insured."

The company also said the temporary suspension is not expected to have a material impact on its overall business because of manufacturing capacity available at other facilities.

"Considering the Company's sufficient manufacturing capacities at other locations, we do not foresee any material impact on its overall operations."

It added that it would continue monitoring the situation and provide updates on the resumption of normal operations.

The temporary suspension comes as Ahmedabad continues to grapple with widespread flooding after two days of intense rainfall.

According to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), the city has recorded 18.42 inches (457.31 mm) of cumulative seasonal rainfall during the recent spell. Heavy rain has been reported in several areas, including Bakrol, Bopal, Sarkhej Urban and Jodhpur.

To facilitate the discharge of excess water, authorities have opened all 22 gates of the Vasna Barrage.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Friday visited several rain-affected localities, including Sentosa Park Society in Ambli and Hari Om Villa and Iskcon Green Society in Ghuma, to assess the impact of flooding.

The Chief Minister entered waterlogged areas, interacted with residents and reviewed relief measures being undertaken by the administration.

Later, he chaired a high-level review meeting with officials from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Police and other departments to assess the situation and speed up relief efforts.

Municipal officials informed the Chief Minister that complaints related to waterlogging, fallen trees, road cave-ins and damaged infrastructure were being addressed on priority.

To drain floodwater, the AMC has deployed:

245 pumps at 42 stormwater pumping stations.

305 pumps at 83 drainage pumping stations.

40 vehicle-mounted heavy dewatering pumps (Varun Pumps) in low-lying areas.

The civic body has also mobilised 129 desilting teams, around 400 workers, 72 tractors and utility vehicles, 8 JCB machines, emergency response teams in every ward and additional equipment to restore normalcy.

Officials said 3,958 trees have already been trimmed as part of preventive measures.

Authorities are monitoring the situation through the city's SCADA-based control system, a real-time monitoring dashboard and 1,139 CCTV cameras.

As a precaution, the Dakshini, Chandlodia and Chandkheda underpasses have been temporarily closed and will reopen once conditions improve.

According to the AMC, 169 waterlogging complaints have already been resolved, while work is underway on another 107 complaints. Of the 67 complaints related to fallen trees, 43 have been addressed.

During the review meeting, Chief Minister Patel directed officials to accelerate relief work, ensure that residential societies are cleared of water at the earliest and strengthen preventive measures to minimise the impact of future heavy rainfall. He also instructed authorities to prioritise sanitation and public health measures in the affected areas once floodwaters recede.