Heavy downpour has wreaked havoc across the state of Madhya Pradesh with over 1,200 villages experiencing a flood-like situation.
In a tweet, Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan said that teams of the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF), State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF), Indian Army, the Air Force and state police were working together to rescue and relocate people from flood-affected areas.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heavy rain alert for 17 districts in the state.
Vidisha, Raisen, Raigarh, Guna and Ashok Nagar have been issued orange alerts for very heavy rainfall, while the yellow alert denoting heavy rainfall warning has been issued for the districts of Sheopur, Mandsaur, Datia, Shivpuri and Agar-Malwa, among others.
Rescue efforts in a low-lying locality near the Seep River in Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh.
(Photo: PTI)
Train lines, bridges and communication towers have also been affected, adding obstacles to the ongoing relief efforts.
Addressing 'Anna Utsav' programme on Saturday, 7 August, Chouhan said that more than 8,800 people had been rescued from flood-hit areas and over 29,000 people had been evacuated to safer areas.
The IAF rescued stranded people in MP's Seondha.
(Photo: Twitter/IAF)
In a series of tweets, Chouhan took stock of the situation in the state, where at least 14 people have lost their lives to the incessant rains and floods.
Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan also announced a special task force, consisting of various departments, to overlook the state-wide rescue and relief operations, noting that flood-affected families would receive as much as 50 kilograms of additional food grains.
WEST BENGAL
Heavy rainfall has affected other parts of the country as well. In West Bengal, incessant rains have inundated over four hectares of land in seven flood-affected districts. The situation claimed 23 lives and nearly 3 lakh people have been rescued and relocated.
Despite there being less rainfall now, the grim flood-like situation in the state remains unchanged. Following the downpour and water being discharged from dams over the last few days, many parts of Hooghly, Howrah, Paschim Medinipur, Birbhum, South 24 Parganas and Purba and Paschim Bardhaman experienced floods.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin who lost their lives to the floods.
The NDRF and the state police have been working together to aid rescue and relief efforts in the state.
The NDRF is working to distribute food packets in flood-hit areas in Howrah.
(Photo: Twitter/NDRF)
The NDRF is working to distribute food packets in flood-hit areas in Howrah.
(Photo: Twitter/NDRF)
BIHAR
Bihar's Patna has been issued severe flood alert by the Central Water Commission (CWC), which expects water levels of the Daman Ganga river to rise by 20 to 30 centimetres.
Along the Ganga's banks, the region of Barh has been issued a major flood warning (water levels to rise more than 80 cm above ground), while the Begusarai and Barahiya areas downstream have received moderate flood warnings. The CWC has advised people to be cautious if going to the riverfront.
Bihar has been experiencing heavy rains and floods since late June, with over 10 lakh people being affected by them. Rising water levels in rivers, coupled with heavy rainfall have wreaked major havoc, have destroyed settlements and farmlands across the state, especially in parts of Patna, Gaya, Aurangabad , Jehanabad, Nalanda and Rohtas districts.
Following an aerial survey, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar met District Magistrates of flood affected areas to ensure immediate support and relief to those affected. He then asked officials to survey the districts again, stating that he would conduct another survey himself in the coming week.
Ganga and Punpun rivers are showing rising water levels, which are flowing above the danger mark. These surging waters may affect fresh areas of flood-hit districts.
Districts in Jharkhand along Bihar's border have also been on high alert and have been warned of rising water levels in rivers.
On 5 August, the CWC said that parts of rivers Ghagra, Ganga and Gandak were flowing in 'above normal' flood situations.
The Commission has also predicted that water flowing in from the Yamuna and its tributaries will further increase water levels in the Ganga over the next three days.
UTTAR PRADESH
As per the IMD, areas adjoining the national capital will experience thunderstorms and moderate to heavy rainfall. The department also issued rain warnings for many districts across northern India, in Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
While no flood warnings have been issued yet, Uttar Pradesh is at alert due to high water levels in rivers and a possibility of flooding along the banks of the Yamuna and its tributaries, along with other rivers in the Ganga basin.
With the water levels continuing to increase and rain warnings being issued, water has entered low-lying areas in Uttar Pradesh and boats have been deployed in Prayagraj.
The state has deployed SDRF and Jal police personnel in low-lying areas, whose residents have claimed that they will move to temporary camps set up by the district administration if water levels continue to rise.
RAJASTHAN
Following torrential rainfall over the last few days, Rajasthan's dams have released over 1.6 lakh cusecs of water as water levels continue to rise.
The rains triggered flash floods, inundating over 40 villages in Baran district. Over three dozen villages in Asnawar, Khanpur and Sarola areas of Jhalawar are inundated as rivers overflow.
Many areas in Rajasthan have been inundated due to heavy rains.
(Photo: PTI)
People were trapped inside their houses as roads flooded in Galana and Khanpur regions. The Jhalawar-Baran highway was also discontnected due to severe waterlogging. Villages in Hadoti were left without food supplies and drinking water, as the heavy downpour continues.
Former CM Vasundhara Raje took to Twitter to highlight the extent of damage caused by rains and floods in Hadoti, where nearly 80 percent of corn, peanut and soybean crops have been destroyed. A teenager in Jhalawar died as walls collapsed around him.
(With inputs from The Indian Express and India Today)
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