Red alert issued in 12 districts; rivers in spate, roads blocked in several areas
Bhopal, July 31– Incessant rainfall has created flood-like conditions in several parts of Madhya Pradesh. While the phase of extremely heavy rainfall has subsided, the overall situation remains critical. On Wednesday, rescue operations were carried out in Guna, Shivpuri, Sheopur, Morena, and other districts to evacuate hundreds of stranded people. Rivers including the Narmada are in spate, leading to road closures. On Thursday, heavy rain alerts have been issued in 12 districts, and schools have been closed in Shivpuri.
Cyclonic system triggered rainfall, say meteorologists
According to weather expert Dr. Divya E. Surendran, a cyclonic circulation and trough activity was observed in central Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, causing widespread rainfall. Though the weather system is expected to weaken, the threat of localised heavy rain remains. On Wednesday, Jabalpur recorded the highest rainfall at 1 inch. Light showers were reported in over 25 districts, including Bhopal, Betul, Guna, Gwalior, Narmadapuram, Indore, Pachmarhi, Raisen, Sheopur, Ujjain, Damoh, Mandla, Narsinghpur, Naugaon, Sagar, Seoni, Umaria, Balaghat, and Shivpuri.
Red alert for Sheopur and Guna; Orange and Yellow alerts elsewhere
A red alert has been issued for extremely heavy rainfall in Sheopur and Guna districts. Orange alerts have been sounded for Vidisha, Rajgarh, Ashoknagar, Shivpuri, Morena, Damoh, and Sagar. A yellow alert remains in effect across most other regions. Continuous rainfall over the last three days has triggered floods in several districts.
Floods impact hospitals, schools, and villages
In Sheopur, the Seep River overflowed, flooding the government hospital in Manpur and trapping 12 patients. All were safely rescued by the SDRF team. Guna recorded 12.92 inches of rainfall within 24 hours, and a 15-foot section of the Kalora Dam’s west weir broke, posing a threat to nearby villages. NDRF and the army have been called in as a precaution.
In Narmadapuram’s Sohagpur region, floodwaters entered seven houses in Sankala village near the Narmada River, prompting families to move their belongings into trolleys. Schools were closed in Bhopal, Narmadapuram, and Ashoknagar due to continuous rainfall. In Shivpuri’s Pachawali village, 30 school children returning home by bus were trapped in floodwaters and had to take shelter in the house of the local sarpanch. In Kolars’ Sangeshwar village, residents are living under tents on rooftops.
In Morena, the Chambal River is flowing above danger level, leading to the rescue of over 500 people from Morena, Sabalgarh, Ambah tehsil, and surrounding areas.
Rainfall exceeds average in many districts
In Narsinghpur’s Ganghai village, seven villagers were trapped due to backwater from the Baranjh River. They were rescued by SDRF teams. Rainfall in Gwalior, Shivpuri, Ashoknagar, Morena, Sheopur, Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, and Niwari districts has already exceeded the seasonal average, with up to 37% surplus recorded. The state has so far received an average rainfall of 27.7 inches.
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