Floods claim 32 lives in Madhya Pradesh

As many as 32 persons have lost their life due to incessant rains in Madhya Pradesh so far, with all major rivers, including Narmada, Tapti and Betwa flowing above danger marks at various places, according to government sources.

Floodgates of important reservoirs such as Bargi, Satpuda, Yashwant Sagar and Kundalia were opened as rains have wreaked havoc across the state.

According to the India Meteorological Departments Bhopal office, 614 mm rainfall was recorded from June 1 to August 10, which is 64 mm above the normal for this period. The state’s normal quota of rainfall in a monsoon period till September 30 is 953 mm.

The department said that more than 10 mm rain was recorded in the last 24 hours in more than 30 out of 51 districts in the state.

Senior minister Govind Singh Rajput, who conducted an aerial survey of the damage caused due to rains in Mandsaur district, said the flood has damaged crops in thousands of acres and claimed 32 human lives.

The government is providing relief to all flood-affected people on war-footing, he said

Senior meteorologist at the Bhopal observatory, AK Shukla said that the system has now weakened into a well-marked Low-Pressure Area and has moved away from West Madhya Pradesh, so there are chances that the weather is very likely to improve. Hence, light rains might be seen over places. Now, significant rains seem to be ruled out for the next three to four days.

However, he added, a new system in the Bay of Bengal is likely getting formed which might cause heavy downpour in and around Bhopal from August 14.

In Malwa region of western Madhya Pradesh, heavy downpour in the last 24 hours reduced low-lying areas into veritable ponds.

In view of the heavy rains, schools in many parts of the region were declared closed on Saturday.

Around 1,000 people were evacuated to safer places in Barwani and Dhar districts in western Madhya Pradesh following flooding caused by the heavy downpour.