32 Dead In Madhya Pradesh As Rivers Swell After Heavy Rainfall

Heavy rainfall over the last six days has caused flooding in most major rivers across Madhya Pradesh, which has reported as many as 32 monsoon-related deaths so far.

Although the weather has improved in various parts of the state since Friday evening, heavy rainfall prior to this period has caused water levels in most of its rivers to rise. Until reports last came in, rivers such as the Narmada, Chambal, Tapti, Parwati, Kshipra, Balwanti, Anas, Ruparel and Sukkad were either flowing above the danger mark or close to the danger level.

As rivers and water bodies swelled up dangerously due to the heavy rains, the authorities opened sluice gates of seven out of 28 dams in the state - including the Omkareshwar dam in Khandwa, Krishnasagar Dam in Guna, Bargi Dam in Jabalpur, Mahi Dam in Dhar and Bhadbhada Dam in Bhopal - to ease the situation.

Of the 52 districts in the state, rainfall was above normal in 13 - including Bhopal - while remaining normal in 28 others since the beginning of the month.

According to reports from Dhar district, a nine-year-old boy was swept away by strong water currents in the Balwanti river at Badnawar on Friday evening. His body was recovered about a kilometre from the spot a few hours later. Another person was swept away by the flooded Ruparel river in western Madhya Pradesh's Khargone district. He is still missing.

Meanwhile, around 85 families in 10 villages that come under the submergence zone of the backwaters of the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Barwani district have been shifted to safer zones.

Although the gates of the Sardar Sarovar Dam in adjoining Gujarat were opened for the first time on Friday, bringing down the water level of the Narmada in Madhya Pradesh's Barwani district, the lifting of sluice gates of the Bargi Dam and Omkareshwar Dam in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur and Khandwa districts respectively could again raise the river's water level in the project's submergence area.

According to Barwani District Collector Amit Tomar, the administration is looking out for the possibility of the Narmada breaching its banks due to release of water from dams in other parts of Madhya Pradesh.

Several families had to be shifted to safer places in Madhya Pradesh's Jhabua district after the Sukkad and Anas rivers breached their banks and the Damoyi dam backwaters caused flooding in low-lying areas.

Madhya Pradesh Revenue Minister Govind Singh Rajput conducted an aerial survey of the flood situation in Mandsaur district, a part of which has flooded by the Chambal river.

More than 100 people have died in rainfall-related incidents across the country until now.