Cyclone Biparjoy: Flood-like situation in 3 Rajasthan districts, 59 people rescued

Fifty-nine people were rescued on Sunday from Rajasthan's Jalore, Sirohi and Barmer districts which are facing a flood-like situation due to heavy rainfall caused by cyclonic storm Biparjoy, officials said.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot spoke to the district collectors of Jalore, Sirohi, Barmer and Pali during the day. The situation is under control and continuous monitoring is being done, the officials added.

State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) Commandant Rajkumar Gupta said 39 civilians stranded in flood-affected Od Basti of Bhinmal town in Jalore were rescued and taken to safer places. Twenty people trapped in their houses due to water-logging in the low-lying areas of Dhaurimanna town in Barmer district were rescued by the personnel of the force, he said.

Police said four people, including a woman, were killed in two separate rain-related incidents in Barmer and Rajsamand districts.

Barmer's Sevda police station officer Hansaram said two minor brothers drowned in the pond in Gangasara village on Sunday morning. The bodies were fished out and handed over to their family members after post-mortem examination.

The Rajsamand police control room said Premsingh Rajput (45) died due to land sliding in Baghota village and Lali Bai (48) died after the balcony of a house fell on her in a village under the Kelwa police station area.

Rajasthan Disaster and Relief Secretary P C Kishan said, "There is also an alert for heavy rains in the next 15-20 hours. Our teams are on alert."

He said several dams in Pindwara, Abu Road and Rewar are now full. The water level of Batisa Dam in Sirohi is 315 metres and water is being released from the dam.

According to the Disaster Relief and Management Department, heavy rains were recorded in many areas. As per the meteorological department, 226 mm of rainfall was recorded in Pali's Airan Pura Road, 155 mm in Sirohi, 123 mm in Jalore and 91 mm in Jodhpur City from morning to evening on Sunday.

Till 8.30 am on Sunday, 336 mm downpour was recorded in Chitalwana of Jalore, 291 mm in Jaswantpura, 317 mm in Raniwada, 315 mm in Shivganj, 270 mm in Sumerpur, 266 mm in Chohtan, 256 mm in Dhorimanna, 249 mm in Rani, 243 mm in Reodhar and 240 mm in Bali, the weather office said.

Rainfall ranging from 67-203 mm was recorded at many other places.

Jaipur Meteorological Center in-charge Radheshyam Sharma said heavy to very heavy rainfall has been recorded in Jalore, Sirohi, Barmer and Pali districts and many other parts of the state during the last 24 hours.

Heavy rainfall is being witnessed in Pali, Rajsamand, Ajmer and Udaipur districts and adjoining areas, he said.

Sharma said there is a possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in the districts of Ajmer and Udaipur divisions during the next 24 hours.

He also said that for the next 24 hours, a red alert has been issued in Pali, Sirohi, Rajsamand and Udaipur. Heavy to very heavy rainfall will continue at isolated places over Ajmer, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Dungarpur, Tonk, Bundi, Jaipur, Nagaur, and Jalore, the official added.

Sharma said there is also a possibility of light to moderate rainfall in Hanumangarh, Ganganagar, Churu and Bikaner.