IMD issues red alert for central, western regions
High risk of flash floods in eastern MP, Guj, Chhattisgarh and eastern Rajasthan
nNEWDELHI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red category warning about heavy rain in parts of central and western India over the weekend and Monday as the monsoon is likely to be active in these regions.
The warning has been issued for eastern Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh on Saturday; Saurashtra and Kutch regions in Gujarat, and eastern and western Rajasthan on Sunday; and Saurashtra and Kutch regions on Monday.
A red category warning implies that disaster management authorities should take action to prevent any rain-related or flooding disaster.
“Central India has got extremely heavy rain. It may record heavy to very heavy rains for another day. But now the monsoon rains will be concentrated in south Rajasthan and Gujarat. There can be extensive urban flooding. Meanwhile, another low-pressure area is likely to develop over Bay of Bengal which may not be as intense as this one. There may be some rain in Delhi NCR around August 25 or 26,” said RK Jenamani, senior scientist, national weather forecasting centre.
Till Saturday, many parts of Madhya Pradesh had recorded extreme rain, including Sehore 32 cm; Dewas 27 cm; Indore and Raisen 26 cm each; Ujjain 24 cm; Dhar 23 cm; Banswara, Shajapur 21 cm and Hoshangabad 20 cm.
The Central Water Commission in its flood situation report on Saturday warned that there is a high risk of flash floods in parts of eastern Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, eastern Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
There is a moderate risk of flash floods in the Konkan region and Goa also, the report added. There is a well-marked low-pressure area lying over central parts of Madhya Pradesh. It is very likely to move nearly westwards across western Madhya Pradesh during the next two to three days.
The monsoon trough is active and south of its normal position (Ganganagar to the Bay of Bengal.)
An east-west shear zone (a zone of change in wind direction and velocity) is running across central India, according to IMD’S Saturday morning bulletin.
Due to these favourable conditions, widespread to very heavy rain is likely over Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Telangana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan in the next two to three days. Extremely heavy rain is likely over eastern Rajasthan and Gujarat during August 22 and 23, and in western Madhya Pradesh, and north, Madhya Maharashtra on August 22, and Saurashtra and Kutch from August 22 to 23.
“Under the influence of likely formation of a low-pressure area over northwest Bay of Bengal, rainfall activity is likely to increase over east and adjoining central India from August 23. Heavy to very heavy rain is likely over Odisha from August 23 to 25, over Gangetic West Bengal on August 24 and 25 and over Jharkhand on August 25,” said IMD.
Meanwhile, in Delhi the sky remained clear and blue. The air quality index was 53, in satisfactory category bordering.
Even as heavy rainfall continue to batter Central India, The flood situation in Bihar remained critical on Saturday as nearly 70,000 more people were affected by the calamity, raising the number of marooned people to 83,62,451 in 16 districts of the state, a Disaster Management Department bulletin said.
Flood water entered in 11 fresh panchayat areas since Friday and the number of affected panchayats is now 1,333 in 130 blocks.
Flood-related deaths remained unchanged at 27, the bulletin said.
Darbhanga is the worst-hit district with 20.82 lakh people affected by the deluge while Muzaffarpur has 19.69 lakh victims, the bulletin said. The bulletin also said that about 5.50 lakh people have been evacuated so far by 26 teams of National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force.