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Chhattisgarh: Incessant rains cause flooding in Bastar division

In Sukma, officials said that 1181 people have shifted to relief camps, with the district practically cut off with primary roads under water. Officials have been visiting residents of low lying homes in Sukma and Konta, attempting to convince them to move to shelter camps.

This is a photograph of the gates of the Khatiguda dam in Odisha on the Indravati river being opened. This will mean a rise in water levels in low lying areas of Bastar district like some parts of Jagdalpur city and parts of Chitrakote. (Express photo by Dipankar Ghose)

Incessant rains in the southern parts of Chhattisgarh have left large parts of Bastar division struggling with floods, with rivers such as the Godavari, Shabri and the Indravati in spate. The Chief Ministers office has taken cognisance of heay rainfall all over the state and has asked the district administration, especially in Bastar, to make all arrangements possible. In Bastar, the three worst affected districts are Bastar district, and Sukma and Bijapur districts where in several parts, flood water is running over roads, cutting off entire rural tracts.

Senior officials in Bastar district said even as the district is already dealing with high levels of the Indravati, dam gates of the Khatiguda dam in the Nabarangpur district of Odisha were opened on Thursday morning, with waters expected to swell the level of Indravati some more. “Water will reach parts of Jagdalpur town, and Lohandiguda, all low lying areas. Danger level is 8.30 metres. Water levels are 9.20. If it rises even more, then more floods will happen,” officials said.

Ayaz Tamboli, District Collector Bastar said, “Makeshift camps and shelter homes have bene opened in schools. We are running almost six right now. We are taking care of 150 people. Water level is in the danger zone but right now the situation is under control. There is no panic as such. Some rural parts of the district have been disconnected because water levels from rivulets and nallas are flowing over the road such as in the Chitrakote area and Tokapal area. We are in the orange zone, but not quite in the red zone yet.”

In Sukma, officials said that 1181 people have shifted to relief camps, with the district practically cut off with primary roads under water. Officials have been visiting residents of low lying homes in Sukma and Konta, attempting to convince them to move to shelter camps.

Chandan Kumar, District Collector said, “There are many villages which have been affected by the flood water but we are running rescue operations. People have been shifted to relief camps. Over a thousand people have been shifted. We are taking care of their shelter, food etc. There are around 70 relief centres. They are mainly in Konta, Sukma. The flooding is because of excessive rain in the upper catchment area of the Shabri river. The level of Godavari has also gone up, so the Shabri is also swelling. Many roads like Sukma-Jagdalpur, Sukma Malkangiri, Sukma Chetti all these roads have been cut off, because water is running above the road by at least three to four feet. The next 24 hours will be crucial.”

In Bijaour district, there are relief camps set up as well, with access to Telangana cut off. Senior officials said that at least three people have been killed in rain related incidents, while one person was killed in a wall collapse because of heavy rain in Jagdalpur.

First uploaded on: 08-08-2019 at 21:19 IST
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