Rains lash MP, several rivers in spate, three dead in Mandsaur

Three people, including a woman and her daughter, drowned in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday as around 3,000 people were shifted to relief camps following a heavy downpour.

Almost the entire state is receiving rains, and some areas are expected to have "very heavy to extremely heavy" rain by Thursday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned.

The rains have sent rivers and nullahs into spate and inundated low-lying areas in the state.

R D Gupta, a professor at government college at Mandsaur, his wife Bindu Gupta (42) and daughter Akriti (20) fell into a fast-flowing nullah in Gandhinagar area of the city while trying to click a selfie on Wednesday morning, police said.

Onlookers pulled out Gupta but his wife and daughter were swept away, district Superintendent of Police Hitesh Choudhary said. The bodies of the two women were later fished out, he added.

In another incident, Bapulal Dhakad, a milkman, was swept away while crossing a bridge across a nullah which was in spate on his motorbike at Badwan village in Mandsaur district, collector Manoj Pushp said. His body was retrieved one km away.

Some 3,000 people were evacuated from Malhargarh area, Mandsaur tehsil and Mandsaur city in the district following floods and shifted to seven camps, the collector said.

The water of the Shivani river has entered the famous Pashupatinath Mahadev temple on its bank, Pushp said.

"Around a dozen houses collapsed or were partially damaged due to rain in the district. Floodwaters are now receding," he added.

Home guards have been pressed into service for rescue and relief operations, the collector added.

The rivers Narmada, Kshipra, Betwa, Tapti, Tawa, Chambal and Parwati are in spate in the state.

Meteorologist G D Mishra of IMD Bhopal said almost entire state witnessed rainfall in the 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Wednesday.

Gotegaon in Narsingpur district received the highest 164 mm rain between 8.30 am Tuesday and 8.30 am Wednesday, he said.

Heavy rains are expected at a few places in 36 districts including Indore, Dhar, Khandwa, Neemuch, Mandsaur and Bhopal. Isolated spots in these districts may receive "very heavy to extremely heavy" rain by Thursday morning, Mishra added.