BHOPAL: Heavy rains and consequent flooding of rivers continue to disrupt life in various parts of Madhya Pradesh. Three regions – Vindhya, Bundelkhand and Mahakoshal – are among the worst affected.
Two adjoining districts, Panna and Chhatarpur, which form part of the Bundelkhand region, have also been hit by heavy rain and flooding of rivers.
In Chhatarpur district, villages in the Luvkush Nagar and Chandla areas have been affected by rising water levels in the Urmil and Ken rivers, while in the adjoining Panna district, the situation is more alarming, with some families from marooned villages shifted to safer camps and shelters.
As a safety measure, schools in Chhatarpur district reportedly remained closed on Thursday. In Luvkush Nagar, a kutcha house collapsed.
In the Vindhya region, receding waters of the Mandakini river have eased the situation in Chitrakoot. But in the adjoining Sidhi district, a landslide in the Kaimur Hills led to erosion of part of a road, cutting connectivity with adjoining eastern Uttar Pradesh.
In eastern Madhya Pradesh's Maihar district, rain-fed nullahs overflowing over small bridges and culverts have badly affected traffic on the Mukundpur route.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has sounded a red alert for very heavy rain in Damoh and Tikamgarh districts of the Bundelkhand region, while an orange alert for heavy rain has been sounded for 13 districts across central Madhya Pradesh, Bundelkhand, Mahakoshal and Gwalior-Chambal.
Also, owing to heavy rains in the catchment areas of the Bargi Dam, five gates of the dam built on the Narmada river in Jabalpur district were opened on Thursday to a level of 1.5 metres to release excess water.
The release is likely to significantly increase water levels at the ghats along the Narmada river in Jabalpur.