RESPITE FROM RAINS BUT RESCUE OPERATIONS UNDERWAY

Team Absolute|Bhopal After being lashed by heavy rainfall since Friday, Madhya Pradesh got some respite on Sunday, with water levels receding and administration preparing to close dam gates. However, rescue operations by teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) arevunderway in various areas of Madhya Pradesh.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh  Chouhan said, “It is a matter of relief that rains have stopped and water levels are receding as dam gates are also being closed. Western MP is now expected to get rainfall and administration has been alerted regarding the same. I will be going for an aerial survey of floodaffected areas. After the water recedes, I hold a high-level meeting with health and municipal officials to ensure that coronavirus does not spread post floods. We have to fight floods as well as coronavirus.” Torrential rains since Friday have triggered flooding in several districts including Hoshangabad,where the Army and the NDRF were roped in on Saturday to rescue people from inundated areas.
Four teams of NDRF were airlifted from Pune to be deployed for rescue operations said that the state government has also asked for help from the army.”Have asked for army help and have got four army companies working in Sehore and Raisen. We had also asked for five choppers out of which we got three and two more will be provided,” said the CM. Over 8,000 people have been rescued so far and 170 relief centres have been set up in flood-affected areas, informed the CM.”Airforce has also been requested to airlift stranded people from flood-affected areas. All our officials and police forces were active throughout last night during rescue ops. I am personally monitoring everything. In order to maintain the coronavirus protocol, all people at the relief centres will be screened as well,” said Chouhan.
Earlier, Chouhan said that this year’s rainfall in Madhya Pradesh broke a record of 21 years.The country has received the highest rainfall in the month of August in the last 44 years, according to data of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which has issued a red alert forecasting more extremely heavy rains in many areas of Madhya Pradesh.Villagers from flood-affected areas were airlifted by the Indian Air Force, which is assisting the government in the rescue and relief work as swollen rivers continue to inundate large parts of the state.
A group of people, including woman and children, were rescued from Somalwada village of Sehore district – a short drive away from state capital Bhopal – in an IAF chopper as rains continued to batter Madhya Pradesh.A video going viral on social media shows rescued villagers being greeted by state officials. However, most villagers, officials and rescue workers were not seen wearing face masks or practicing social distancing in the video. Red and orange alerts have been issues for very heavy to heavy rainfall today in 16 of the state’s 52 districts as the monsoon trough passes over the north-central parts of Madhya Pradesh.In view of the warning, CM Chouhan said, “We have reduced water discharge from the dam but there is still a possibility of rain. I urge people not to insist on staying in the villages where the administration is requesting them to leave. To the extent possible, we are trying to make all arrangements in relief camps.”The state has also fully engaged the national and state disaster response forces and the Indian Air Force, which continued to rescue people overnight on Saturday despite bad weather, including in Chhindwara. The state has suffered agricultural losses worth thousands of crores.1 dead, 3 injured after building collapses in Ashta A 13-year-old girl lost her life and three people were injured after a house in ward number 5 in the Ashta area of Sehore district collapsed following heavy rains last night. The four victims were sleeping inside when the house belonging to Pappu Qureshi collapsed, and all four got stuck under the debris.The building collapsed on Saturday night following incessant rains in the region. The injured have been shifted to a local hospital.SDM Ashta Ravi Varma said, “Four people got trapped under the debris after the building collapsed due to heavy rains in Ashta. While three were rescued with the help of a JCB machine, a 13-year-old child lost her life.”The building belonged to Pappu Qureshi.
As soon as the authorities were informed, they reached the buildingvcollapse site to rescue those trapped under the debris.Heavy rains lead to flood-like situation in Shajapur Heavy downpour has resulted in a flood-like situation in Shajapur which has disrupted normal life here.
Continuous spell of rain continues in Shajapur following which Parvati, Kalisindh, Nevaj, Jamghat and Lakhundar rivers are on spate. The situation is such that water has started entering the houses here.
People gripped with fear are forced to stay on the higher floors of their residences. Roads here have also been closed amid the prevailing flood-like situation and over 200 villages have lost connectivity.
On Saturday, water entered the Chirayu Hospital in Bhopal as the level of Bada Talab increased due to incessant rainfall in the region.