Army on alert in Rajasthan

Heavy rainfall has once again created flood situation in several districts of Rajasthan. Jhalawar and Baran are the worst affected where consistent rain since Saturday night has inundated several villages and killed six people while a dozen other have been trapped in Pratapgarh.

At least 24 people were airlifted in Rajasthan’s Baran district and from nearby areas where heavy rains have created a flood-like situation. Here, six members of a family including four children died when their house collapsed in Phoolbarod.

Several villages are inundated with water entering buildings, houses and a private power plant in Baran. A maximum of 31.5 cm rainfall was recorded in Manoharpur Thana in Jhalawar which was followed by Chhipabarod with 25 cm, Chhabra with 20 cm, Aklera with 17.5 cm, Chhapi Dam with 14 cm and Atru receiving 12.5 cm rainfall in the last 24 hours.

The district administration of both the districts has pressed the machinery for relief and rescue operations. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the state disaster response force (SDRF) are also engaged in rescue works in affected areas.

Three people were swept away in Pirawa and Khanpur in a flash flood. A helicopter flew in to save a dozen people in Pratapgarh, while two people were trapped in the Banas river near Isarda Dam where they had gone for a picnic.

In Chittorgarh too NDRF team rescued people stuck in a hotel and some policemen from the police station. The situation is grim in many villages of Bhilwara as well.

The chief minister, Vasundhara Raje, said that the army has been put on alert in Kota and Udaipur divisions. She said that the army and air force have been deployed along with RAC, SDRF in Baran and NDRF and SDRF in Jhalawar.

“The air force has rescued 34 people from 10 different spots while ground forces have saved 10 people in Baran,” the CM informed in a series of tweets.

Meanwhile, the private weather forecast agency, Skymet, said that the depression over Northwest Madhya Pradesh and adjoining Rajasthan is likely to become well-marked low pressure area in the next 12-24 hours. This rain activity is likely to continue for the next 24 hours over these areas with moderate spells and isolated areas receiving few heavy spells. But after 24 hours, this rain activity will gradually decrease over the area.