Rain lashes large parts of MP; 100 evacuated; woman swept away

A 30-year-old woman was swept away on Thursday in a swollen river in Mandla district as rain lashed large parts of Madhya Pradesh, officials said.

The weather office in Bhopal has forecast very heavy and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in nearly a dozen districts till 8.30 am on Friday.

Nearly 100 people were evacuated from low-lying areas and shifted to safer places in Barwani district where the Narmada river was flowing 5.62 metre above its danger mark in the catchment area of the Sardar Sarovar Dam located in adjoining Gujarat, they said.

The dam's backwater level has increased, creating a flood-like situation in some parts of Barwani district, the officials said.

Besides, the Tapti river was overflowing in the Multai area of Betul district, flooding many temples located on its banks, they said.

The woman, Summo Bai (30), ventured into the flooded Supran river to catch a floating piece of wood. However, she was swept away by strong currents at Jhigra village, about 25 -km from Mandla district headquarters, Anjaniya Police Post in-charge DP Nagpure said.

Two youths, who tried to save the woman, got trapped in the water currents, but villagers managed to rescue them, he said.

Nagpure said a search for the woman is underway.

Barwani collector Amit Tomar told PTI that the water level of the Narmada has reached 128.90 metres in Rajghat village of the district. The danger mark of the river at this village is 123.28 metres.

Around 100 people living in low-lying areas of Rajghat and Chhota Badda villages have been shifted to safe places, Tomar said.

Some shops and an ashram located along the Narmada banks in Rajghat have also been evacuated, he said.

Tomar said, "We are constantly monitoring the rising water level of the Narmada and are fully prepared to deal with any emergency. Permanent rehabilitation sites and temporary tin sheds have been built to accommodate displaced people.

The India Meteorological Departments Bhopal office spokesman said almost the entire Madhya Pradesh received rainfall in the last 24 hours ended 8 am on Thursday.

He said very heavy and extremely heavy rainfall is likely to occur at isolated places in the districts of Bhopal, Indore, Hoshangabad, Ujjain, Jabalpur, Shahdol, Singrauli, Sagar, Damoh, Guna and Ashoknagar by 8.30 am Friday.

G D Mishra, meteorologist at IMD Bhopal, said Dhar district received 80 mm rainfall between 8.30 am and 5 pm on Thursday - the highest in the state during that period.

Meanwhile, in a related development,the indefinite satyagraha (protest) launched by the Narmada Bachao Andolan in Rajghat village entered the second day on Thursday.

Protesters are demanding that the gates of the Sardar Sarovar Dam, built in Gujarat, be opened immediately so that the level of dams backwater in Madhya Pradesh is reduced and nearby villages are not submerged.