About 46,000 residents in Mandsaur and Neemuch districts across Madhya Pradesh were shifted to safe places as torrential rains continued to lash the western region of the state. The continuous rain has triggered floods in many parts of the state, especially Mandsaur and Neemuch districts.
Over 2000 people in Rampura town in Neemuch district had to be evacuated after backwater levels at the Gandhi Sagar Dam reached alarming levels, officials stated.
So far, the state government had announced aid of Rs 100 crores. A fund of an additional 325 crores has been put into relief and rescue operations, according to a report in Hindustan Times.
The devastating floods and incessant rains have wreaked havoc in the state as almost 32,000 families in the catchment area of Indira Sagar and Sardar Sarovar dams are at risk of being deluged with the water levels soaring to alarming levels in the two dams. In addition to this, the locations that were finalised for the rehabilitation of project-affected people are also submerged in water due to unabated rains. Nisarpur, which was identified as one of the places to inhabit project-affected people is already in the throes of floods.
Thousands of people have been vacated from 100-150 villages in Mandsaur alone and shifted to safer locations. A large number of people are displaced due to interminable rains and the resultant flooding. Some villages are totally vacated as flood level has crossed a dangerous threshold. The town of Ramapura, under Neemuch district, is 40 per cent submerged. The government has fired up the relief work in the affected districts of Mandsaur, Neemuch, Ratlam, Agra-Mala, Sheopur, Damoh, Raisen, Ashoknagar, Bhind and Shajapur.
Amidst the crippling floods, the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, who was on a visit to take stock of the situation of the flood-affected areas expressed solidarity with the flood-hit people. He reassured them to not worry as their ‘Mama’ is still alive, as reported by Nai Duniya.
Ironically, flood victims have received electricity bill from the Madhya Pradesh government asking them to pay their bills. Chauhan also proceeded to burn electricity bills on the stage and issued an ultimatum to Kamal Nath government stating if the concerns of people are not addressed by September 21, he would launch a protest against the Congress government beginning September 22.
Chauhan has also asked the state government to adequately compensate farmers across the state who have lost their crop due to disastrous floods. Chauhan announced that he and his fellow MLAs in BJP have decided to donate a month’s salary for the flood victims.
