12 People Die in Rain-related Incidents in MP as IMD Issues Alert; CM Says 'Such Devastation Not Seen in 70 Yrs'....

 12 People Die in Rain-related Incidents in MP as IMD Issues Alert; CM Says 'Such Devastation Not Seen in 70 Yrs'....

Twelve people have died and seven injured in various rain-related incidents in flood-ravaged Gwalior and Chambal divisions of Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Thursday, even as the IMD sounded a fresh heavy rain alert for 23 districts. The rainfall in Gwalior and Chambal divisions in north MP has now abated, rescue operations have ended and relief operations have begun, officials said.The region was being pounded by rains since Sunday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday issued an `orange’ alert forecasting `heavy to very heavy’ rainfall in six districts of Madhya Pradesh even as Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the state had not seen such devastation in the last 70 years.

The IMD on Thursday evening also issued a `yellow alert’ forecasting `heavy’ rainfall in 17 other districts.

An orange alert warning of rains ranging from 64.5 to 204.4 mm in 24 hours at isolated places was issued for the districts of Rajgarh, Shajapur, Agar-Malwa, Mandsaur, Guna and Ashok Nagar. The yellow alert forecast of rainfall ranging from 64.5 to 115.5 mm at isolated places was issued for Sheopur, Morena, Bhind, Neemuch, Shivpuri, Gwalior, Datia, Vidisha, Raisen, Sehore, Hoshangabad, Dhar, Dewas, Narsinghpur, Tikamgarh, Niwari and Sagar. Both the alerts are valid till Friday morning, said P K Saha, senior meteorologist, IMD, Bhopal. Gwalior and Chambal divisions comprise the districts of Gwalior, Shivpuri, Guna, Ashok Nagar, Datia, Sheopur, Morena and Bhind in north Madhya Pradesh.

An air operation had been started to rescue people in the flood-hit Bhind district and Karera in Shivpuri district.The state has not seen such devastation in the last 70 years that the rain-ravaged Gwalior-Chambal region is facing. Bridges near the Ratangarh Mata Temple and Sankua in the area were damaged and many people got stranded in those areas, a state official said, quoting chief minister Chouhan.

On Wednesday night, 57 people were rescued from Kali Pahadi in Shivpuri district while 13 people were rescued from Teela area in Shivpuri, officials said.Chouhan also spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the morning. The prime minister assured all possible help to the state, officials said.

The CM also spoke with Union Home Minister Amit Shah who said the Centre will send an advance team to assess the damage, officials said.Vice President Venkaiah Naidu also called Chouhan to enquire about the flood situation and relief operations.

Food packets were being dropped from aircraft in various inundated areas including 13 locations in Sheopur, officials said.The chief minister also chaired a meeting in the morning at his official residence to review the flood situation.

Delhi Records ‘Excess’ Rainfall

Meanwhile, the IMD said four districts in the national capital have recorded “large excess” rainfall, while three districts have gauged “excess” precipitation so far this monsoon season.

Only northeast Delhi has recorded “deficit” rainfall, 149.9 mm against the normal of 332.2 mm, since June 1, when the monsoon season starts. Overall, the national capital has received 40 per cent “excess” rainfall so far–409.9 mm against the normal of 293.4 mm, it said.

Central Delhi, which was the most rain-deficient district in India till July 11, has recorded 62 per cent more rainfall — 537.5 mm against the long-period average of 332.2 mm. Despite the monsoon embracing Delhi only on July 13, making it the most-delayed in 19 years, the city had recorded 16 rainy days in the month, the maximum in the last four years, according to the IMD.

The weather department has predicted normal rainfall — 95 to 106 per cent of the long-period average — for Delhi in the month of August. The IMD measures monsoon performance in five categories — ‘large excess’ (rainfall is above 60 per cent of normal), ‘excess’ (20 per cent to 59 per cent more than average), ‘normal’ (minus 19 to 19 per cent of normal), ‘deficit’ (minus 20 per cent to minus 59 per cent) and ‘large deficit’ (60 per cent below normal). The maximum temperature hovered close to normal limits at most places in Haryana and Punjab on Thursday.

According to the meteorological department, Chandigarh received 10 mm rainfall, Rohtak (30 mm) and Ludhiana (1 mm) . Ambala in Haryana recorded a maximum temperature of 31.6 degrees Celsius, while Hisar registered a high of 35 degrees Celsius.

Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a maximum temperature of 33 degrees Celsius. In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a high of 34.5 degrees Celsius. Ludhiana recorded 34.2 degrees, while Patiala’s maximum settled at 32.6 degrees and that of Gurdaspur was 33.9 degrees Celsius.

Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 35.3 degrees Celsius on Thursday, one notch above the season’s average, the MeT said. The minimum temperature at the Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative data for Delhi, settled at 26.5 degrees Celsius — considered normal for this time of the year.

The weather department has predicted “generally cloudy sky with light rain” for Friday in the city. Delhi’s air quality was also in the ‘satisfactory’ category. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board showed that the hourly air quality index (AQI) at 6.05 pm stood at 100. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”. .