Flood-like situation in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan as IMD predicts heavy rains for next 2 days; 13,000 evacuated from Mandsaur, Neemuch after downpour hits districts

At least seven states are likely to experience heavy rainfall and thundershowers over Sunday and Monday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted. Among these states, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have been facing a flood-like situation since Saturday, reports said. More than 16,000 people from Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur and Neemuch districts were shifted to safer places on Sunday after heavy rainfall caused water-logging in several areas, while parts of Pratapgarh district in Rajasthan faced a flood-like situation due to a rise in the water-level of the Jakham and Mahi rivers following incessant rains. Skymet also predicted ‘heavy’ rains and thundershowers at isolated places in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, WestBengal, Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, North Konkan Coast, and Northern Bay Islands. “Widespread to widespread rainfall with heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over East Rajasthan, West Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat Region during next 24 hours,” the IMD also said on Saturday in its All India Weather Warning Bulletin. Madhya Pradesh In Madhya Pradesh, heavy showers have been lashing the two neighbouring districts in the western part of the state for the last few days, crippling normal life. “Around 13,000 to 14,000 people have been rescued from about 100 to 125 villages in Mandsaur. Some of these villages have been fully vacated while there has been partial evacuation in others,” Superintendent of Police Hitesh Choudhary was quoted by PTI as saying. He added that rescue operations were on “in full swing” and that the authorities were keeping a “close watch” on the situation. In Neemuch, heavy downpour has caused water-logging in multiple stretches of the region. Nearly 2,300 people were evacuated from the flooded Rampura town in Neemuch after an alarming rise in the backwater level of Gandhi Sagar Dam in Mandsaur, an official at Neemuch collectorate said. Rescuers kept a vigil during the night before bringing the flood-hit people to relief camps on Sunday. Mandsaur received 218 mm rain while Manasa town in Neemuch got 243 mm rain in 24 hours ending Sunday morning, as per the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) office. After heavy rains, 19 sluice gates of Gandhi Sagar Dam were opened and 4.93 lakh cusec water was being discharged, the dam project’s sub-divisional officer NP Dev was quoted as saying by reports. The released water reportedly gushed downstream and entered parts of Rajasthan bordering the district. On Saturday, water also entered the Indira Gandhi District Hospital in Mandsaur. While the monsoon has weakened in the eastern parts of the state, it is still active in western districts. IMD also said that heavy rainfall is likely in Alirajpur and Jhabua districts till Monday morning. Rajasthan More than 350 students and 50 teachers were stuck at a school in Chittorgarh since Saturday, as roads were blocked due to heavy discharge of water from Rana Pratap Dam. Locals on Sunday were providing immediate assistance and food to those stuck, ANI reported. State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) team rescued locals who were stranded in the flood-affected areas in the Pratapgarh district of the state on Sunday. Parts of the district are facing a flood-like situation due to rise in the water level of Jakham and Mahi rivers following incessant heavy rainfall in the region.

Rajasthan: More than 350 students & 50 teachers are stuck at a school in Chittorgarh since yesterday, as roads are blocked due to heavy discharge of water from Rana Pratap Dam. Locals are providing immediate assistance & food to the students & teachers. pic.twitter.com/QbW5XJjJY5

— ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2019

SDRF team rescued many people including women and children from the flood-hit areas on Saturday. “A family is stranded for two days in Darawat region due to rise in the water level of Jakham River. A woman and infant of that family are also stranded there. Police and rescue forces are consistently trying to rescue people from the flood-affected areas here,” said Irfan Khan, a local, was quoted by ANI as saying. “Locals along with SDRF team are trying to rescue the stranded people here. Due to a rise in the river water level, a few land areas and farms have been converted into an island-like area. Around eight people are stranded in one of these areas, including women, children and senior citizens. In the first round, SDRF has rescued three children from there,” said Surendra Choudhary, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Pratapgarh. India Today also reported that a flood-like situation had been created in the Kota district as a “majority of dams are on the edge of overflowing”. Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand In addition to Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, IMD has also predicted rain over Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh for Sunday. “Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karikal, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and Gujarat Region,” the IMD stated in its All India Weather Warning Bulletin. A thunderstorm accompanied with squall very likely to occur at isolated places over Andaman and Nicobar Islands; with lightning at isolated places over Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Gangetic West Bengal. Strong winds, speed reaching 40-50 kmph, are likely to prevail over west-central and south-west Arabian Sea. Squally weather conditions are likely to prevail over the Andaman Sea. The agency has also advised fishermen not to venture into these areas. Gujarat Ahmedabad, Amreli, Anand, Aravali, Banas Kantha, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Botad, Chhota Udaipur districts of Gujarat are likely to see heavy rain over Sunday, Skymet reported. “Few spells of rain and thundershower will occur over Devbhumi Dwarka, Dohad, Gandhinagar, Gir Somnath, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Kutch, Kheda, Mahesana, Mahisagar, Marvi, Narmada, Navsari, Panch Mahals, Patan, Porbandar, Rajkot, Sabar Kantha, Surat, Surendranagar and Vadodara districts,” the weather forecast agency added. With inputs from agencies