Heavy rain lashed the city of Nagpur in Maharashtra on Friday midnight, waterlogging roads and inundating the low-lying areas as floodwater entered residential areas. A video shared by the news agency ANI shows several vehicles submerged in water following the torrential rain in the region. According to PTI, Nagpur airport reported 106 mm of rainfall till 5:30 AM. Schools and colleges have been closed in the district in view of the flood and authorities have asked the residents to leave their homes, as per PTI.
A team of NDRF conducted rescue operations and safely evacuated six people in the Ambajhari Lake area. The Ambajhari lake is reportedly overflowing due to the continuous rainfall.
The Indian Army has also joined in the search and rescue operations. A personnel from the Indian Army told ANI, "When we got the message in the morning, the water was at shoulder level. The people were stuck. As soon as we got to know, we brought a boat and rescued the people. We have provided drinking water and biscuits to them."
Office of Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis stated that teams of NDRF and SDRF have been deployed and district administration has been instructed to carry out the rescue operations.
"DCM has instructed the Nagpur Collector, Municipal Commissioner and CP to immediately activate multiple teams for rescuing people who are stuck at few places. NDRF and SDRF teams are also being deployed," the office of the Deputy CM said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
"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," Fadnavis' office said.
Secretary of Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, Sandip Joshi told ANI that, "Deputy CM has been in constant contact to take stock of the situation. He further said that with the help of the NDRF, Nagpur Municipal Corporation and Nagpur Collectorate around 200-300 people have been rescued. People should be vigilant too during the current situation in the city. And there should be no spread of rumours on social media".
Meanwhile, District Collector Vipin Itankar told ANI that the low-lying areas were inundated after water in the Ambajhari lake overflowed following the incessant. He requested people not to step out and to remain vigilant during this time.
"Because of the 100-125 mm incessant rainfall in the night, Ambajhari lake overflowed which resulted in waterlogging at the low-lying areas. 200-300 people were rescued from there by the NDRF and SDRF teams...There is an alert for rain today as well. So I appeal to the people to be vigilant and the people living in low-lying areas should move to higher grounds to be safe", Itankar was quoted by ANI.
He said that the District Administration has been informed to the public. Also, he requested people not to step out to watch the rain.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Nagur has predicted that “severe/moderate thunderstorms with lightning” is likely to continue at isolated places in Nagpur, Bhandara and Gondia districts. There is also a possibility of “intense rain at isolated places” in these areas, it added. Light to moderate rainfall is likely to occur at many places in Wardha and some parts of Chandrapur, Bhandara and Gondia districts. Light rainfall is very likely to occur at isolated places over Amravati, Yavatmal and Gadchiroli, the weatherman said.
Bhatsa Dam Gates Opened
Meanwhile, all five gates of the Bhatsa dam in Thane district were opened on Friday for water discharge amid heavy rains in the region, an official told PTI. The district official said the storage of the dam was presently 99.47 per cent of its capacity.
"The water level is 141.89 metres. All five gates have been opened to 100 centimetres. The total discharge from these five gates is 18,794 cusecs or cubic feet per second," he said.