Heavy rains inundated numerous sections of Nagpur city in a matter of hours, after which more than 400 people, including 70 pupils from a speech and hearing-impaired school, were rescued, said Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday, news agency PTI reported. According to him, an old woman died due to the rain. Water poured into homes and residential areas, and streets became rivers as the city got 90 mm of rain between 2 and 4 a.m. For the next 24 hours, the weather service has issued an orange alert throughout the district.
As a precaution, the administration has declared a vacation for schools and institutions.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday visited the flood-affected Ambazari area in Nagpur and interacted with the people.
Rescue activities were carried out by teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
Fadnavis informed reporters in Mumbai that NDRF and SDRF officers have relocated over 400 individuals to safer regions. There are 70 kids from a speech and hearing-impaired school and 50 girls from LAD College.
According to him, an elderly woman and 14 livestock died as a result of the severe rainfall.
According to the deputy chief minister, individuals rescued have been relocated to temporary shelters and given food and other necessities.
CM Shinde and Fadnavis met with the Nagpur collector to assess the situation. According to sources, the CM asked authorities to provide the necessary amenities to those impacted by the severe rains.
Shinde also urged officials to seek extra NDRF and SDRF troops if the water level in the flooded regions rose.
Fadnavis, who is from Nagpur, went to X in the morning to say that he was constantly following the city's rain condition.
“There has been incessant rainfall due to which the Ambazari lake is overflowing. The low-lying area around it is affected more due to this. Other parts of the city too are affected,” said his office on X.
According to Fadnavis' office, the deputy CM has directed the Nagpur collector, municipal commissioner, and police commissioner to "immediately activate multiple teams for rescuing people who are stuck in a few places."
Later, Fadnavis stated on X that 140 persons had been rescued by two NDRF and two SDRF troops divided into seven groups. Similarly, he claimed, 40 pupils were saved from a school for the deaf and hard of hearing.
According to the deputy CM, the fire department is also doing rescue efforts.
Fadnavis also urged people not to believe in misinformation.
The Nagpur Municipal Corporation has asked residents not to leave their houses unless absolutely essential. Many city roadways are saturated as a result of the ongoing rainfall, it said.
According to the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) Nagpur centre, "severe/moderate thunderstorm with lightning" would likely continue in isolated areas of Nagpur, Bhandara, and Gondia districts. It also mentioned the likelihood of "intense rain at isolated places" in these areas.
Many localities in Wardha, as well as sections of Chandrapur, Bhandara, and Gondia, are expected to get light to moderate rainfall.
It is highly possible that light rain may fall in isolated areas over Amravati, Yavatmal, and Gadchiroli.