Army joins rescue ops as rain pounds parts of state
MONSOON FURY Red alerts issued for Baran, Chittorgarh, Jhalawar and Kota dists; downpour in MP adds to flooding
KOTA/JAIPUR: Heavy rainfall continued in the state on Sunday inundating several areas, restricting commute and causing dams to overflow. National and state disaster management teams along with Indian army were involved in carrying out intensive rescue operation in several parts of Rajasthan, including Sawai Madhopur, Kota and Jhalawar.
The Kota and Jhalawar administration called Army to help in rescue of people stranded in flooded areas of the two districts, a release from the Jaipur-based Sapta Shakti Command said on Sunday.
Several areas in the Hadoti region, comprising Kota, Jhalawar, Baran and Bundi districts, are facing floods due to heavy rainfall in the area and in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh.
Red alerts were issued on Sunday for four districts of the state including Baran, Chittorgarh, Jhalawar and Kota. While no such red alerts were issued for Monday for any of the district.
On Saturday, while yellow warning was provided for 13 districts of the state, orange warning indication ‘preparedness’ was provided for Baran district.
Flooding has also led to release of excess water from Kota barrage, which has caused floods in the low-lying areas along the banks of the Chambal, said officials.
“Flood relief columns of the Sapta Shakti Command were called upon by the State Administration for rescue operation in the heavily flooded areas of in Kota and Jhalawar,” the Army release said.
“The Army columns rescued people marooned on rooftops and assisted in the evacuation of people from low lying areas to safe places. The Army distributed relief materials and provided basic amenities to the affected people,” the release added.
The rescue work is being carried by the Army, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Relief Force, civil defense and Kota Municipal Corporation, officials added.
Additional chief secretary PK Goyal, who is in charge of Kota district, came to Kota on Sunday and supervised flood relief and rescue operation.
Kota barrage is releasing excess water – around 700,000 cusecs – from the Madhya Pradesh’s Gandhi Sagar Dam for last two days. This has caused flooding in low lying residential areas along Chambal banks.
Nayapura Harijan Basti, Bapu Basti, Nehru Colony, Gaori, Balita, Dostpura, Hanumangarhi, Kunhari and other low-lying areas remain the worst sufferers of flooding due to overflowing Chambal river.
Around 10,000 houses are reported to be submerged and residents have taken shelter on the roof of the houses, waiting for water to recede.
Kota district collector Muktanand Agarwal said officials had been told to ensure food, shelter, drinking water and other basic amenities to the flood-hit people in the district. Muktanand Agarwal said that rescue teams have rescued over 4000 flood hit people.
He said that relief centres have been set up at schools and community centres.
Maximum r a i nf a l l was observed at Gangdhar, Jhalawar where 22 cm rainfall was recorder in two days including Saturday and Sunday as per a press release by the weather department. Other cities of eastern Rajasthan where maximum rainfall were recorded in two days include Dug in Jhalawar where 19 cm rainfall was recorded, Pratapgarh where 16 cm rainfall was recorded, Begu in Chittorgarh where 15 cm rainfall was recorded along with nine other cities.
As per the forecast by meteorological department on Sunday medium to heavy rainfall might be recorded in parts of eastern Rajasthan on Monday.
Meanwhile, many social organisations have come forward to distribute food to affected people.
Railway traffic on the DelhiMumbai track has been affected due to waterlogging at several places on the Kota-nagda railway divisions of West Central Railway (WCR). This led to diversion of around half a dozen trains, a railway official said.
The department of personnel (DOP) issued orders on Sunday to all state services officers posted at flooded areas to report to their departmental heads to mange things quickly and efficiently.
The three point order said that all officers should immediately report to their district collectors or head of department. The recently transferred officer should report to the heads without any delay and offs of all the officers in floodd areas have been canceled with immediate effect.