Heavy rains lash Nagpur, army called in for relief

NAGPUR: After Mumbai, it's the turn of Vidarbha to face the deluge. Several parts of the region have been submerged following a heavy and unprecedented downpour in the last two days. In Gondia, which has recorded 220 mm of rainfall in two days, the district administration has sought the help of the army to carry out rescue work in areas flooded with water.

The Gondia district administration has sought army support to carry out rescue work in some parts of the district, while officials in Bhandara said that a decision in this regard would be taken if it continues to rain heavily throughout the night. 
Even in Nagpur city and district, over 1200 families in low-lying areas have been removed to safer places by the administration following unabated rains. Across the division, the schools remained closed Wednesday, even as the Regional Meteorological Department said that rains would continue for the next 24 hours.

"It's an abnormal phenomenon," said AS Zadgaonkar, in-charge of weather forecasting department of the met office in Nagpur. "Monsoons have started to withdraw from the region; it is perhaps the last strong rain of the season," he suggested.

According to Met office Nagpur district recorded about 200 mm of rainfall, while Gondia saw 220 mm in the past 48 hours.

"The sudden downpour was due to depression developed over the skies of Champa in Madhya Pradesh. That depression has now advanced northwards to Seoni, but rains would continue for 24 hours. Its intensity would decrease by Thursday morning."

In Chandrapur, the irrigation department has opened all five gates of the dam on Irai River, while warning people residing along the banks to evacuate the areas. Though there are no reports of any casualty, the divisional commissioner said many houses are flooded following heavy downpour since last night across the division.

"We have shifted the affected families to the school premises at many places. They are now being looked after by the administration," resident deputy collector of Nagpur P V Jadhav informed. The water level in Nag River climbed up dangerously posing threat to the families living in the congested slums along the bank in north Nagpur areas.

The fire brigade of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation said that its officials are working round the clock to flush out water that had gushed into the low-lying localities. A few areas along a small nullah in North Nagpur saw water level rise up to six feet flooding the houses.

Agriculture officials say that the last two days' rains would cause irreparable damage to soybean, cotton and paddy crops.