Incessant rain disrupted normal life in Jharkhand on Saturday, with low-lying areas inundated, vehicle movement affected and several rivers flowing above danger levels, officials said.
People were seen wading through knee-deep water in some areas, while several vehicles were stranded on waterlogged roads.
Amid the inclement weather, several districts, including Ranchi and Jamshedpur, ordered schools to suspend classes from kindergarten to Class 12 on Saturday.
The continuous rain since September 23 has triggered flood-like conditions in several parts of the state, with rivers flowing above danger levels, an official said.
In East Singhbhum district, the Subarnarekha river was flowing 2.02 metres above the danger level, while the Kharkai river was 4.50 metres above the danger mark.
East Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner Rajiv Ranjan urged residents on Saturday morning to stay away from riverbanks and move to safer, elevated areas.
“The water level of the Subarnarekha and Kharkai rivers is above the danger mark. Citizens are urged not to go near the riverbanks, to take shelter in safe high places, and to follow the instructions of the district administration,” Ranjan said in a post on X.
The water level at Kanke dam, also known as Gonda dam, in Ranchi reached 27.05 feet against its capacity of 28 feet, another official said. Water levels also rose significantly at Ranchi’s Hatia and Getalsud dams.
Weather conditions are expected to improve from Sunday, with the weather system likely to weaken from Saturday evening.
According to an India Meteorological Department bulletin, the depression over north Chhattisgarh and adjoining northeast Madhya Pradesh was moving north-northwestwards and was likely to weaken gradually into a well-marked low-pressure area over the following 12 hours.
The widespread rainfall has brought Jharkhand’s overall rain deficit down to 3 per cent as of Friday. The state received 962.6 mm of rain between June 1 and September 25, against the normal 992 mm.
However, eight districts continue to face rainfall deficits. Pakur recorded the highest shortfall at 51 per cent, followed by Chatra at 36 per cent and Sahibganj at 33 per cent.
The IMD considers rainfall variation of up to 19 per cent from normal to be within the normal range.
Eight districts recorded surplus rainfall, with West Singhbhum registering the highest surplus at 47 per cent, followed by Seraikela-Kharsawan at 21 per cent and Ranchi at 15 per cent.
(With inputs from PTI)
