New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday predicted heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in the next two days in several states including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
At least 50 people have died in floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains in northern and eastern India over the last three days, officials said on Sunday as reported by news agency Reuters. At least 36 people were killed in Himachal Pradesh, while in neighbouring Uttarakhand, an official government release said that four were dead and 13 were missing due to continuous rainfall.
In its weather bulletin forecast for Monday, the IMD predicted heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places over west Madhya Pradesh and East Rajasthan; and heavy rainfall at isolated places likely over East Madhya Pradesh, Southwest Uttar Pradesh, West Rajasthan, and North Gujarat region and north Madhya Maharashtra.
Rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places is likely over south Rajasthan & adjoining North Gujarat and heavy rainfall at isolated places is likely over north Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra on August 23, said the India Meteorological Department in its weather bulletin on Monday.
Rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places is likely over Southwest Rajasthan and adjoining Kutch area on August 24.
Madhya Pradesh
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday issued a red alert for heavy rainfall in 39 districts including Bhopal, Ujjain, Jabalpur, Ratlam, Neemuch and Mandsaur. IMD also informed that a deep depression over the Central parts of Madhya Pradesh and adjoining south Uttar Pradesh has weakened into a depression.
The IMD said that the depression will continue to move west-north-westwards across north Madhya Pradesh and weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area during the next 24 hours.
"Depression over Central parts Madhya Pradesh and adjoining south Uttar Pradesh near latitude 24.4°N and longitude 78.8°E, about 60 km north of Sagar (Madhya Pradesh). To move west-north-westwards across northwest MP and weaken into a Well-Marked Low-Pressure Area next 12 hrs," tweeted IMD.
Himachal Pradesh
On Sunday, seven houses were damaged due to heavy rains in Bariyara village of Nurpur. As many as 743 roads, including the Manali-Chandigarh national highway at Mandi and the Shimla-Chandigarh highway at Shoghi, have been blocked for traffic.
IMD had earlier issued an orange alert across Himachal Pradesh. IMD Deputy Director of State, Bui Lal on Saturday predicted that the state will also see moderate to heavy rain during the next five days.
"The next 5 days to see moderate to heavy rain. An orange alert has been issued for the next 12 hours for the whole state, yellow alert for the rest of the days till August 24," Lal had said.
Uttarakhand
Twenty-four tourists stranded at a resort here were safely evacuated as rescue efforts to trace missing people in rain-ravaged Uttarakhand were intensified on Sunday, according to officials, reported news agency PTI.
Rescue teams intensified operations in Maldevta and adjoining areas and 24 tourists stranded at Jungle Gadera Resort were evacuated to safety, they said.
Five people are still missing in Gwad village of Tehri district and seven in Maldevta and Raipur areas of Dehradun, officials added.
Former Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat visited Shiv Junior High School in Maldevta where 40 people of seven affected families of Sarkhet have been given shelter. He asked them to be patient and directed officials and party workers to provide them immediate succour.
Jharkhand
Though the deep depression that brought heavy rainfall has weakened, parts of the state recorded light to moderate rain on Sunday. In Jharkhand’s Kolhan division comprising Seraikela-Kharswan and East and West Singhbhum districts, 2,500-odd people affected by the flood-like situation were shifted to safer places since Saturday.
The water level of the Kharkhai and Swarnarekha rivers which were flowing above the danger level on Sunday morning is slowly receding, officials said. Water released from dams such as Chandil and Tenughat also inundated low-lying areas affecting the people of various areas, particularly Jamshedpur city in East Singhbhum district.
In the Seraikela-Kharswan district, over 1,600 people were shifted to temporary shelter homes from Seraikela and Chandil sub-divisions after areas including Rammadaiya bustee, Bhatia bustee, Raidih bustee, Kapali, and Chandil were submerged.
Deputy Commissioner Ananya Mittal told PTI that the situation in the district has improved as no rain occurred since morning.
However, the administration is identifying shelter homes in certain pockets of the district as a precautionary measure with the possibility of rain in the next two days, Mittal said.
In East Singhbhum's industrial city of Jamshedpur alone, over 150 people were evacuated after water gushed in in residential areas such as Shastrinagar, Bagbeda, Jugsalai and Mango.
Deputy Commissioner Vijaya Jadav who visited those affected areas said the situation is being monitored continuously.
The situation in the steel city has worsened after the Chandil and Kharkai dams of Jharkhand, besides the Bankabal dam in neighbouring Odisha, discharged water leading to a rise in the water level of the two rivers. In Bokaro district, three radial gates of Tenughat Dam across the Damodar river were opened on Saturday night after the water level exceeded a certain storage level.
The Ramgarh district administration has also issued an alert as radial gates of the Patratu dam might be opened anytime. The water level in the dam reached close to the danger level, an official said.
In Ranchi’s Kanke dam, the water level exceeded the storage level of 28 feet. “One gate of the dam was opened to release surplus water. After releasing water, currently water level is at 27 feet,” Kanke Dam executive engineer Ajay Kumar Singh said.
Odisha
Odisha is already reeling under the impact of moderate floods in the Mahanadi river system following incessant rainfall, which has affected above 7 lakh people. Nearly 5 lakh are still marooned in 763 villages, according to government estimates.
Rains and flood-related incidents have so far claimed six lives. Two bodies were recovered in Kuchinda area of Sambalpur district on Saturday, while four people, including two minor girls, were killed in a wall collapse on Friday night.
The India Meteorology Department said the deep depression has now weakened into a depression over northwest Chhattisgarh and adjoining northeast Madhya Pradesh & southeast Uttar Pradesh.
However, the latest forecast by the IMD said that Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Rayagada districts of Odisha are likely to experience light to moderate rainfall or thundershower from August 23.
(With Agency Inputs)