MP heavy rainfall: CM holds meeting to review flood situation

Bhopal, Aug 23 (IANS) Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held an emergency meeting with senior officials and the cabinet ministers to review the flood situation in Madhya Pradesh, after excessive rainfall in the last 24 hours.

All major and small rivers have received water more than their capacity. The people living in the catchment areas were getting affected. The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) informed that around 2,300 people have been shifted to safer places and the rescue operations by NDRF, SDRF and the respective district police teams were continuing in several parts of the state.

At least 18 shelters have been established in Vidisha district where a flood-like situation emerged due to heavy rain for the last 24 hours and 1,300 people were shifted to safer places. Rescue teams were carrying operations using boats.

Immediate airlifting of people was needed in at least five places in Vidisha. On the request of the state government, Indian Air Force (IAF) agreed to send two mid helicopters.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will also conduct an aerial survey of the rain-affected district on Tuesday, the CMO informed.

Though, there was no rain on Tuesday morning in Bhopal, however, little and moderate rainfall reportedly continued in some other parts of the state. In Bhopal, the power supply was restored after more than 24 hours in parts of the city, which had witnessed tree falls and traffic snarls over the last couple of days due to heavy showers and strong winds blowing at up to 40 km per hour, officials said.

After the long power cut in Bhopal, MP central zone power distribution company called in its workers from neighbouring districts to restore supply in the capital city, an official said.

The depression lying over the central parts of MP near Bhopal and Sagar has moved towards Rajasthan and weakened. Moderate to heavy rain with low intensity are likely in Neemuch, Mandsaur and Ratlam, bordering Rajasthan, senior meteorologist at the IMD's Bhopal Office, Ved Prakash Singh told IANS.

Light showers are likely in remaining parts of the state for the next three days, he said.