Incessant rains pound parts of Chhattisgarh, govt issues alert

Normal life is thrown out of gear as persistent rains have been battering parts of Chhattisgarh, particularly Bastar division. In the wake of this, the state government has issued directives to district officials to remain alert to deal with possible flood-like situations. All flood control rooms have also been directed to remain fully alert and constantly monitor water levels in rivers and rivulets.

Raipur:With incessant rains lashing parts of Chhattisgarh, particularly Bastar division, since Saturday, the state government has issued directives to district officials to remain alert to deal with possible flood-like situations.

In South Bastar, several rivers and rivulets are in spate, due to which the road connectivity has been cut off in some parts.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday directed all district collectors and superintendents of police (SPs) to remain alert in view of the continuous rainfall and make necessary arrangements to deal with flood-like situations in their respective areas, the officials said.

The worst hit by the downpour is South Bastar, comprising Bijapur, Dantewada and Sukma districts, where the water level in the rivers has been steadily rising due to the torrential rains since the last 2-3 days, they said.

Several villages in interior areas of these three districts have been cut off from the district headquarters due to the swelling rivers and rivulets and the administration has started shifting people to safer places, the officials said.

In Bijapur district, road connectivity to around 100 villages has been snapped due to rains and overflowing of Mingachal and other rivers, a district administration official said.

"As many 318 security personnel (deployed for anti-Naxal operations) have been shifted from their camps to other locations as their facilities were flooded with rainwater, while 218 people from villages were shifted to camps in the last 24 hours," he added.

Similarly in Sukma, residents of several villages from flooded areas were shifted to relief camps during the past 24 hours, another official said.

Meanwhile, the chief minister has asked the district officials to assess the damage caused due to rains and provide immediate necessary assistance to the affected people, the public relations department officials said.

All flood control rooms have been directed to remain fully alert and constantly monitor water levels in rivers and rivulets.

Besides, directives have been issued to make necessary medical arrangements in view of the possibility of spread of water-borne diseases during the rains, he said.

Disaster management teams have also been put on alert, he added.

As per the records of revenue and disaster management department, Bijapur district received 221.2 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours, Mahasamund 100 mm, Dantewada 67 mm, Sukma 58.5 mm, while Raipur district witnessed 22.3 mm rainfall.

The Meteorological Center Raipur has predicted that light to moderate rainfall is likely to occur at several places in the state, while heavy to very heavy rainfall at one or two places.

The heavy rainfall has been caused by the low-pressure area over neighbouring Jharkhand and adjoining areas, it added.

(PTI Report)