4 killed in Rajasthan, villagers taken to safer places

JAIPUR/JAISALMER/UDAIPUR: Following torrential rain in southern Rajasthan and portions of western Rajasthan for third consecutive day, teams of national disaster relief force (NDRF) reached various districts for rescue operations. Hundreds of the villagers, stuck in inundated villages, were taken to the safer places while roads, including highways were disconnected from nearby districts.
Two sisters drowned in a village in Jaisalmer district. Rain in Alwar on Sunday evening took a toll on two people, who were electrocuted while they were trying to get a direct electricity connection from an electric pole at Maujpur village of Laxmangarh in Alwar district. The deceased were identified as Haroon Meo and Vinod Saini.
Rain has also wreaked havoc in the districts, especially in Jhalawar, Bundi and Kota. “In last 3 days, nearly 500 mm of rain was recorded in Jhalawar, which is unprecedented. We have alerted different teams, including NDRF and people stuck at the inundated hamlets and villages were taken to the safer places,” said Bishnu Chand Mallik, district collector, Jhalawar while talking to TOI on Sunday.
The villages including Dug, Aklera and Khanpur in the Jhalawar district have received maximum rain and are witnessing ‘flood like situation’. Due to heavy rain Baran-Jhalawar mega highway was also affected. The road route between Jhalawar and Kota and Jhalwar and Baran has also been affected due to continuous rain.
The administration has also opened four gates of the Chapi dam in Jhalawar district since it started overflowing since Saturday evening. “Since the neighboring state Madhya Pradesh (MP) is also witnessing torrential rain, this water is also coming to Jhalawar,” said a senior officer.
At many places people are stuck, roads are submerged and villages have lost connectivity. The rivers, including Kalisindh were also overflowing. However, no rain-related deaths were reported in these districts on Sunday.
At least 13 districts in the state are witnessing flood like situation where various teams of the district administration and NDRF were on the job of taking people to the safer places. On Sunday, Jaisalmer and Barmer districts witnessed heavy rain. A rainfall up to 150 mm was witnessed at many places in these districts. At many places, sewerage line, along with roads, has been badly damaged. Rivers and reservoirs are brimming with water in these districts.
A family from Jaisalmer was stuck in rain but was rescued. The local Luni river is also overflowing. “Two sisters have drowned in Anicut at Sindari village in Jaisalmer district. Their bodies were retrieved in the evening,” said a police officer.
Meanwhile, Mahi dam (Banswara) was overflowing and the irrigation department officials are likely to open the gates of the dam on late Sunday night. “It is overflowing. We will have to open its gates for irrigation purpose. It has reached above the full capacity due to the heavy rain in Madhya Pradesh,” said an irrigation department official.