Incessent rainfall has led to flood-like situations and disruption of everyday lives across several states, even leading to loss of lives.
Two deaths were reported in Rajasthan on Tuesday and two others were reported missing. Flood-like situation has developed in Jhalawar, Dholpur and Baran districts of Rajasthan and the Indian Army has been deployed to manage the situation.
Parts of Madhya Pradesh have also been hit with incessent rainfall and heavy winds in recent days, with parts of the state reporting up to 30 hours of power cuts. Trains have also been diverted in the state as tracks are inundated due to heavy rainfall.
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The situation in Odisha has eased and the government has said the "peak flood" is over. However, over 6 lakh people across over 900 villages still remain affected in the state.
Flood-like situation in Rajasthan
Torrential rains have created flood-like situations Jhalawar, Dholpur, and Baran districts. The Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) have been deployed for rescue operations.
Two people were reported dead and two more were reported missing on Friday in rain-related incidents. Five people were injured in Dug town of Jhalawar when their thatched house collapsed on Tuesday afternoon, according to Dug SHO Amarnath. They are under treatment.
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Rivers like Chambal, Parvan, Parvati, and Kalisindh are flooded and excess water from overflowing dams is being released by opening their gates.
Secretary of Disaster Management and Relief Department Ashutosh Pednekar said Army columns have been deployed in Dholpur and Jhalawar districts.
An IAF helicopter is also being deployed to airlift more than 50 people stuck in the waterlogged areas in Baran and Jhalawar districts, according to officials.
Baran Collector Narendra Gupta said that around 15 persons have to be airlifted from two locations while 81 persons have been rescued by NDRF and SDRF teams from three locations. Jhalawar Collector Bharti Dixit said that 53 persons have been rescued through boats and 49 others will be airlifted by IAF helicopter from one location.
Schools in all four districts of Kota division —Kota, Baran, Jhalawar and Bundi— have been shut, according to officials.
During the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Tuesday, 29 cm rainfall occurred in Jhalawar’s Dug followed by 26 cm in Arnod (Pratapgarh) and Pidawa (Jhalawar), 23 cm in Bakani (Jhalawar), 17 cm in Gangdhar and Pachpahad (Jhalawar), 16 cm in Aklera (Jhalawar), 15 cm in Asnawar (Jhalawar), and 13 cm in Jhalrapatan (Jhalawar).
Many other areas in east Rajasthan received below 13 cm rains during this period. The Met department has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall in Banswara and Dungarpur districts and heavy rainfall in Bhilwara and Chittorgarh districts on Tuesday.
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Disruption of life in Madhya Pradesh
Parts of Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal were hit with over 24 hours of power cuts amid heavy rainfall and strong winds blowing at up to 40 km per hour. Several residents complained that they faced power outage for over 30 hours.
Many parts of MP, including Bhopal, witnessed heavy downpour over the last few days, leading to disruption in electricity supply and railway connectivity. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has been deployed in rescue operations. Two helicopters are to be deployed in Vidisha district, as per officials.
Rains stopped in Bhopal on Tuesday and the power supply was restored after more than 24 hours in parts of the city, which had witnessed tree falls and traffic snarls over the last couple of days due to heavy showers and strong winds blowing at up to 40 km per hour, officials said.
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In the 24-hour period till 8.30 am on Tuesday, Bhopal received 171.7 mm rainfall, while Berasia town of Bhopal district received 209 mm, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said.
In the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Tuesday, Jeerapur in Guna district received the highest 294 mm rainfall, followed by Aalot in Ratlam district -283 mm, Nalkheda in Agar Malwa-253 mm and Sehore -240 mm, an IMD official said. Bhopal, Vidisha, Rajgarh, Guna, Dewas, Betul and Chhindwara have received excessive rainfall so far, according to the IMD office.
After Monday midnight, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a meeting with senior officials at the state secretariat and spoke to the district collectors of various flood hit districts including Narmadapuram, Vidisha and Guna. The officials informed in the meeting that in the last 24 hours, the State Disaster Emergency Response Force and the National Disaster Response Force together rescued 190 people in Vidisha, 103 in Rajgarh, 94 in Ashoknagar, seven in Raisen, five in Jabalpur, three each in Mandla and Guna and two in Sidhi.
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Moderate to heavy rains with low intensity are likely in Neemuch, Mandsaur and Ratlam, bordering Rajasthan, senior meteorologist with the IMD's Bhopal Office Ved Prakash Singh told PTI, adding that light showers are likely in remaining parts of the state for the next three days.
Schools in some districts including Bhopal and Vidisha remained closed for the second day on Tuesday, officials said.
Odisha's rivers go below danger level
The "peak flood" is over in Odisha and water in most of the rivers is below the danger level, according to Odisha government on Tuesday.
However, around 6.4 lakh people remain affected across 902 villages in the state, officials said.
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Water Resources Department Chief Engineer BK Mishra said that most of the rivers including Subarnarekha in northern Odisha and Mahanadi in the East are flowing below the danger level.
"The peak flood is over, but many villages remain inundated," he said.
However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in one or two places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts on Tuesday and Wednesday."
Floodwaters in many villages in these districts are still wreaking havoc. The administration is taking measures to face the fresh rainfall," said Mishra.
Even though there has been no breach in embankment of Subarnarekha, where peak flood was witnessed on Monday afternoon, embankments of Mahanadi and its tributaries have been breached in seven places, the official said.
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"The department will immediately undertake temporary repair of the embankments now, and will commence permanent repair after floodwaters recede completely," he said.
Water level in Subarnarekha and Bhudhabalang rivers that caused flood in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts have fallen below the danger mark. Similar is the situation of Baitarani River which inundated several villages in Jajpur and Keonjhar districts, the official said.
Mishra said the flood situation in Mahanadi River has improved.
"The water level in Hirakud Dam was 623.35 feet at 9 AM. While 1.59 lakh cusecs of water was entering the reservoir, 1.04 lakh cusecs were being discharged through four gates," he said.
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However, Jalaka River that caused flood in Balasore block was flowing above the danger level. It was flowing at 6.45 metres at Mathani, while the danger level is at 5.5 metres.
Meanwhile, the Balasore district administration, which is dealing with flood situation in Baliapal, Bhograi, Basta, Jaleswar, Balasore Sadar and Remuna blocks, continued to evacuate more affected people to flood shelters.
Balasore district Collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde said that 40,124 people have been housed in 208 flood shelters, where 149 kitchens are operational while rescue operation is underway in marooned villages.
(With PTI inputs)
