MP rain fury toll reaches 24 as rescue ops continue

BHOPAL: The death toll due to rain-related incidents in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior and Chambal divisions has increased to 24, officials said on Saturday.

The authorities said that the flood situation is slowly improving and at present “no life-threatening” scenario exists in the region, where rescue and relief work is currently on.

“The toll in the rain-related incidents in the flood-hit parts of the state has risen to 24. These fatalities were recorded between August 1 and 7,” Revenue Secretary Gyaneshwar Patil said.

The flood situation in north Madhya Pradesh turned grim earlier this week, where more than 1,250 villages were affected by the deluge following heavy rains. Gwalior, Shivpuri, Sheopur, Datia, Ashok Nagar, Guna, Bhind and Morena districts were affected as the region was being pounded by rains since Sunday.

However, from Thursday, the intensity of rainfall in the two divisions started going down. “No life threatening situation due to flooding exists in Gwalior and Chambal divisions at present,” Divisional Commissioner Ashish Saxena said.

Addressing ‘Anna Utsav’ programme earlier in the day, state chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that 8,832 people were rescued from the flood-affected parts of the state, while 29,280 others have been shifted to safer places from these areas so far. Saxena said that around 50 people, who were stuck in flooded areas of Ashok Nagar district in Gwalior division, have been moved to safety.

Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Indian Air Force (IAF) have reached Ashok Nagar for the rescue operation, he said, adding that Army columns are also scheduled to reach the affected areas. “The rescue operation in the affected areas is almost over and relief work is gathering steam.”

PK Saha, senior meteorologist with the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Bhopal office said that Ashok Nagar and Guna districts in Gwalior division received 32.0 mm and 164.1 mm rainfall, respectively, in 24 hours

ending 8.30 am on Saturday.

Tomar faces protest

Meanwhile, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar was on Saturday mobbed by angry locals, who also threw mud at his motorcade, when he visited the flood-affected Sheopur city.

When Tomar visited Karatia Bazaar in the city to meet floodvictims, people jeered at him and were heard saying that he had come too late. As he got down from his car and consoled some persons, his convoy followed him. People threw mud and small dry sticks at the vehicles, eyewitnesses said.

Sheopur Superintendent of Police Sampat Upadhaya said people complained to the minister that relief reached them late.

“But no vehicle in his motorcade was damaged,” he added.

ANI A section of a highway caves in after heavy rain in Shivpuri.