Bhopal, Aug 16 (IANS): Heavy and incessant rainfall for the past two days has caused flood-like situation in parts of Madhya Pradesh.
The state administration on Tuesday warned that a flood-like situation can also emerge in some other places, especially near catchment area of Narmada and Tawa and other rivers.
Heavy rainfall continued in several parts of the state, including the capital city Bhopal, for the last two days. The weather department has predicted continue spell of rain for the next two days.
Schools in many districts such as Bhopal, Betul, Raisen, Narmadapuram (Hoshangabad) have been shut.
The Meteorological department also issued a rain alert in Bhopal and Jabalpur for the next 24 hours. Orange alert was also sounded in Indore, Ujjain and Narmadapuram divisions of Madhya Pradesh as well.
"The rain is said to have been caused as a result of a depression that currently lies on the border between Odisha and Jharkhand that will trigger widespread rain over Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and the adjoining areas with more rain expected in East and West Madhya Pradesh," said a weather scientist in IMD's regional office in Bhopal.
As per the official reports, as many as 13 gates of Bargi Dam, which is located on Narmada river in Jabalpur district, have been opened to release excess water. Similarly, six out of eight gates of the Barna dam have also been opened. District officials in and around Jabalpur have been instructed to remain vigilant in view of the water discharge from the two dams.
Rivers like Narmada, Betwa, Tawa, Chambal, Shipra, Tapti and many more are flowing above danger mark. A flood -like situation has emerged in Bhopal also, which prompted the administration to open the gates of Bhadbhada and Kolar Dams.
Due to heavy rain for the last several hours, many villages have reported flash flood. Meanwhile, in Begumganj town of Raisen district, a bridge caved in after incessant rain, disrupting road traffic in the area.
Observing the situation, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday directed district administration and the police to be alert.
He directed the administration to shift people to safer places.
Meanwhile, the chief minister has also appealed citizen to co-operate with officials and shift to safer places.
"SDRF teams have been deployed in the districts like Narmadapuram, Raisen, Betul, Sehore, Jabalpur and other districts located on Narmada's catchment," Chouhan said.
The chief minister said that he has asked district administration and the officials associated with dams and reservoirs to release water carefully, keeping in mind that it does not reach villages.