PALAMAU GOES UNDER
Six bridges swept away in Palamu division, NDRF teams called in for rescue operations
RANCHI/LATEHAR: Twenty-four hours of ceaseless rain washed away bridges, homes and left two children dead in Jharkhand, besides disrupting road links with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, according to reports on Friday.
Parts of Pakur, Garhwa, Palamu and Latehar districts are facing a flood-like situation while Ranchi, Bokaro, Dhanbad and Jamshedpur are experiencing severe water-logging.
However, the major damage was reported from Palamu division where the rain swept away over six bridges, a dozen of diversions and snapped road links with Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. More than 1000 houses in different parts of Palamu, Latehar, Chatra and Garhwa were damaged. Over 50 of them have been completed destroyed, reports said.
Chatra district recorded the state’s highest 240mm rainfall in one day, which triggered floods in several blocks due to rise in the water level in the Lilajan. At least two children were killed and many locals reported missing in the flood. The deceased are a 13-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy of Hunterganj block.
Chief minister Raghubar Das announced Rs 4 lakh each as compensation to the families of the deceased.
Chatra’s Hunterganj, Mayurhand and Jori blocks are among the worst affected. Chatra administration has directed closure of all schools till further orders.
“Over 500 people are affected due to the flood. Administrative officials have been sent to the spot to monitor the situation. We have also called team of the NDRF for the rescue,” Chatra deputy commissioner Sandip Singh said.
A large number students, who were taking Semester-2 examinations of graduation under Vinoba Bhave University (VBU), could not make it to the examination centres in these blocks. However, VBU examination controller Ajay Kumar Sharma said that they would conduct a special examination for such students.
“We sought the attendance report of the examinees in the affected blocks of the Chatra,”he said. The bridges across the river Koel on Untari-Majhiaon road, river Amanat on Panki-Sonpura route, Bahata Rivulet on PatanDaltonganj route were swept away as the water in the rivers swelled. A bridge near Karson village in Chainpur was also damaged.
The traffic on the Daltonganj Mahuadand route was halted for over five hours as the rivers on this route were overflowing. A culvert was also swept away in Baresanrh in Latehar district. Hundreds of acres of standing crop of paddy and maize were engulfed by the swollen water in different parts of the Palamu regions.
The Heru Dam, which supplies drinking water to the residents of Chatra town, was damaged as the embankments on sides were swept away by the rising water level. In Ramgarh district, over 20 makeshift shops near Rajrappa temple washed away due to the swelling Bhairvi.
Jamshedpur has witnessed over 335 mm rainfall during last two days led to increasing water level in both the rivers of the town. Water level in Kharkai is one meter away from the danger level while the level is just three meter away in Subarnrekha river. East Singhbhum district broke all previous records in term of rain. The district has received 1062.4mm rainfall from June 1 to August 12 against the normal rainfall of 663.1mm, which 60% surplus.
DANGER BLOWS AWAY
The depression which persisted over Jharkhand and West Bengal has now moved towards Chattisgarh. “But its impact could be felt for next 24 hours. Northern parts of Jharkhand may experience moderate rainfall while heavy rainfall in one or two places,” director Ranchi Meteorological Centre BK Mandal said.
The torrential rain, however, brought down the state’s rainfall deficit to 11%. Jharkhand received 595.4mm rainfall from June 1 to August 12 against the normal rainfall of 668mm rainfall. East Singhbhum has recorded 60% surplus rainfall this monsoon season while Pakur and Ranchi are still facing 34% and 33% rainfall deficit.