JAIPUR: The monsoon has made a strong comeback in Rajasthan, with continuous heavy rainfall over the past 24 hours disrupting normal life in many parts of the state.
After an active spell in July, rains had weakened in August, but the monsoon is now fully active again. The Meteorological Department has issued an alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in 11 districts.
Flood-like conditions have been reported in Kota, Bundi, Baran, Jhalawar, Tonk, Chittorgarh, and Sawai Madhopur districts.
Flood conditions continue to persist in Sawai Madhopur district. NDRF and SDRF teams have been deployed in flood-affected areas. A tractor trolley full of NDRF personnel lost control and overturned on Surwal Mega Highway. The accident occurred while the team was going to help the flood victims.
In Kota division, the Chambal river has swollen due to heavy inflows, forcing authorities to discharge water from Kota Barrage. By Saturday morning, the water level of the Chambal river had reached 132.80 metres—nearly two metres above the danger mark of 130.79 metres.
Transportation has been badly hit. The Jaipur-Kota highway near Deoli (Tonk) has been flooded, while traffic movement on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Kota has been halted.
Soil erosion along the Delhi-Mumbai railway track near Laban in Bundi forced trains to be stopped at nearby stations. Jaipur too witnessed heavy rain on Saturday afternoon.
Authorities have opened six gates of Bisalpur Dam and two gates of Kota Barrage to release excess water. Schools have been closed in nine districts as a precaution, while NDRF, SDRF, and police teams have been deployed for relief and rescue operations.
The flood situation remains critical in Sawai Madhopur. In one incident, a tractor trolley carrying NDRF personnel overturned on the Surwal Mega Highway while heading to assist flood-affected people. A jawan was briefly trapped under a boat loaded in the tractor but was rescued promptly by his colleagues. Fortunately, there was no loss of life.
In Alwar’s Ramgarh area, tragedy struck when a house collapsed due to heavy rain, allegedly burying seven members of a family under debris. Locals managed to rescue them, but a young girl remains in critical condition. In Jaipur, a wall of Dil Aaram Bagh on the way to Amer Palace collapsed, though no injuries were reported.
Explaining the sudden intensification of rainfall, Radheshyam Sharma, Director of the Meteorological Centre, Jaipur, said, “The monsoon had been inactive for the past two weeks. With the trough line returning to its normal position, the monsoon became active again.
A cyclonic system over the Madhya Pradesh-Rajasthan border remained stationary, leading to heavy rainfall in the southeastern parts of Rajasthan.”
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma expressed concern over the situation and instructed officials to remain on high alert. He held discussions with district collectors of Tonk, Kota, Sawai Madhopur, Bundi, and Dausa, reviewing the ongoing relief and rescue efforts.
The CM directed NDRF and SDRF teams to stay prepared and announced a special girdawari (crop survey) to assess damage to agriculture. He assured that relief will be provided quickly after evaluating losses to life and property.