Around 8,000 people stuck in floods in south and west Madhya Pradesh were rescued in overnight operations involving the Army, the Air Force and the disaster response forces, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Sunday.
As many as 411 villages in 12 districts of the State were severely battered by floods, he said. “And the Narmada has broken the record of flooding in 1999. Several cities are under floods owing to the overflowing Narmada,” he added.
PM apprised
While Mr. Chouhan apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the situation on Sunday morning, at night he requested the Army for five helicopters to step up rescue efforts. “Three of them have taken off, two are being prepared,” he said.
Further, two columns of the Army having 70 soldiers each were being sent to Bari and Bareli in Raisen districts, he added. “Air-lifting of stranded persons is going to begin in Raisen and Sehore districts. Wherever necessary, the Air Force is committed to supporting us,” said Mr. Chouhan.
With Nasrullaganj and Shahganj in Sehore district as base, the Army’s column would rescue those stranded in nearby areas. “It is a relief to know rain has stopped at several places. And the discharge from dams has reduced, while Naramada’s level is coming down,” said Mr. Chouhan.
In Narela of Sehore district, rescuers took to a safe spot five persons sitting on a tree around 2.30 a.m., he added.
Extremely heavy rain from 8.30 a.m. on Saturday to 8.30 a.m. on Sunday was experienced in west Madhya Pradesh in Hoshangabad, Sehore, Ujjain, Dewas and Agar Malwa districts, said Ved Prakash Singh, Scientist and Head (DWR/Seismology) at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Bhopal. “Maximum rain was realised in Hoshangabad at 340.4 mm,” he said.
Meanwhile, IMD Bhopal’s Meteorologist G.D. Mishra said as of Sunday all 52 districts had received normal and above normal rain.
Mr. Singh added 21 districts had recorded above normal rain —17 in west Madhya Pradesh and four in the east. The State had received 14% above average rain since June.
Low pressure area
On Sunday morning, Mr. Singh, quoting data from Doppler Weather Radar, said yesterday's well-marked low pressure area had now weakened into low pressure area and lies over west Madhya Pradesh and adjoining east Rajasthan (Guna-Kota-Mandsaur) along with associated cyclonic circulation extending up to 7.6 km above the mean sea level tilting southwestwards with height.
“It will gradually move further into interior parts of Rajasthan with accompanying moderate to heavy rain in the Ujjain division and adjoining districts of the Indore division in the next 24 hours,” he said.
