Satna (Madhya Pradesh): Expressing concern over the flood situation in Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday urged all to cooperate to tackle the crisis.
“There is flood situation in many districts of Madhya Pradesh. As many as 87 districts in Satna have been affected due to heavy rains. Seven people have died and 149 animals have also died. As many as 5,100 people have been evacuated from 87 villages. Around 9,050 houses have been damaged,” he told the media here.
Chouhan said around eight people have been airlifted, adding that the condition in Rewa district is extremely bad.
“The administration has tried to make conditions better. The Army, NDRF and SDRF have been called in. I urge everyone to cooperate,” he added.
Chouhan visited the camps set up for flood affected people in Satna last night. He appealed to the people to come forward for the help of the flood affected people.
Talking about the states of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh affected by floods, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General O.P. Singh said that the worst-hit districts in Madhya Pradesh are Pannah, Damoh, Vidisha, adding the situation in Rewa is slightly critical.
“We are keeping the state administration informed about it. The Central Water Commission is giving us the input day in and day out. All the NDRF teams have been put on high alert. So far, we have rescued and evacuated more than 3,000 people in Madhya Pradesh alone,” he added.
He said they have reshuffled their NDRF teams in Bihar.
“At the request of the state government, we have airlifted five teams from Chennai yesterday night. The five teams have reached Patna and they will be fanned out to different places,” he added.
Asserting that although River Ganga is flowing above the danger mark, Singh, however, said the water is gradually receding.
“From our own precautionary point of view, we are going to deploy those teams in areas like Vaishali, Bhajipur, Raghopur, Khageria, Munger.all these places may get flooded,” he added.
Singh said Banda, Jalaun, Varanasi, Ghaziabad, Ballia and Allahabad districts in Uttar Pradesh are slightly affected due to heavy rains in the catchment areas.
“We have deployed ten teams in Uttar Pradesh alone. These teams are located at various places like Mahoba, Ballia, Chitrakoot, Gorakhpur,” he added.
Singh told ANI in New Delhi that the NDRF is in close touch with the three state governments, adding that it would make efforts to not only to evacuate the people to safer locations, but would also ensure that minimum damage is done to the lives and properties.
While in Bihar, the government has asked those living in low-lying areas to move to safer places as river Ganga is rising at a speed of two centimetres per hour.
According to the Central Water Commission, River Ganga is flowing two metres above the danger mark at the Gandhi Ghat in Patna.
Besides Ganga, Sone, Gandak and Saryu rivers are also flowing above danger mark. Flood waters have engulfed new areas in Patna, Baksar, Saran, Munger and Bhagalpur districts.
In Uttar Pradesh, over a dozen districts are reeling under flood as main rivers including Ganga and Yamuna are flowing above the danger mark at different places.
Heavy rain and flood in neighboring states have worsened the situation in eastern districts and Bundelkhand region. Ganga River is still flowing above the danger mark in Allahabad and Varanasi and Yamuna is also above the danger mark in Allahabad.
Rising Ganga water entered in some more areas in the city and also made about 20 more villages as flood affected during last 24 hours.
Allahabad district administration said that 135 villages of different areas are facing grim flood situation due to current spate in rivers.
About 7,000 people have been shifted in different relief camps. In Banda, Ken River is on spate and flowing nearly five meter above the anger mark. Several areas are submerged under flood water in the district. (ANI)