Rajasthan deluge: Man swept away in Sawai Madhopur, several missing in boat capsize; schools shut

Jaipur, Aug 22 (PTI) A 20-year-old man died after his car was swept away in a spate of water in the Sawai Madhopur district, which witnessed heavy rain on Friday.

Monty Tanwar from Indore drowned in the strong water flow on National Highway 552 at Kushalidarra.

"Monty was travelling to Indore after leaving his family in Niwai when the mishap occurred. Search operation for others is on," Deputy Superintendent of Police (Rural) Pintu Kumar said.

In view of the relentless rains, schools will remain closed on Saturday in Chittorgarh, Baran, Tonk, Sawai Madhopur, Jhalawar, Kota, Bundi, Dungarpur and Bhilwara districts, the administration announced.

Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma reviewed the rescue and relief operations over the phone with collectors of Tonk, Kota, Sawai Madhopur, Bundi and Dausa districts. He directed the NDRF, SDRF and police administration to remain alert and ensure prompt action.

Torrential rains since Thursday night have thrown life out of gear in Sawai Madhopur, causing a flood-like situation. Several residential colonies were submerged, traffic was disrupted, and all railway services have been suspended in the district.

Tourist safaris in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve have been cancelled, a forest official said.

At Surwal Dam, a boat carrying 8-10 people sank. Villagers managed to rescue three people, while a search is underway for others.

"Rescue teams are continuing the operation, and efforts are being made to trace the missing persons," Deputy Superintendent of Police (City) Uday Singh said.

On Thursday night, a man drowned in Ajmer while bathing at a dam. He was celebrating his birthday along with his friends.

In Jaipur's Chaksu area, a couple riding a motorcycle was swept away in a swollen Dhundh river. Locals managed to rescue the husband, but the wife drowned, police said.

In Kota, people swam in the water collected on roads on Friday. Several villages of Bundi have lost contact with the district headquarters.

In Kota, the situation worsened in Digod tehsil in the afternoon, leaving several villagers stranded. The Army has taken charge of the flood-affected area of Digod in Kota rural.

Collector Piyush Samaria and Energy Minister Hiralal Nagar ventured out to take stock of the situation. Samaria said the administration is monitoring the situation with full readiness and people are being taken to safer places.

Lok Sabha Speaker and Kota-Bundi MP Om Birla rode on an Army truck and tractor to the tour-affected areas between Digod and Nimoda.

The Kota district administration has started rescue and relief operations at a rapid pace in the areas affected by continuous rains for two days. People are being evacuated safely from waterlogged areas. To help the district administration, a team of 80 soldiers from the Infantry Regiment of the Army's Gandiva Division has reached Nimoda village.

The Army team took stock of the waterlogging situation as soon as it reached Nimoda, and started evacuating people from areas where the water level was rising.

Earlier, Deepak, a Class 12 student from Raghunathpura, drowned at Govta dam in Bhilwara. The 17-year-old had gone for a walk with his friends and got into the dam water to bathe.

In Sawai Madhopur town, people climbed on their roofs to save themselves from inundation.

Railway tracks at Sawai Madhopur station were submerged in water, leading to the halting of three trains --“ the Sriganganagar-Kota Express at Devpura, the Jaipur-Bayana train at Chauth Ka Barwara, and the Bhagat Ki Kothi-Indore Express at Vanasthali Niwai station.

The Jaipur-Mumbai and the Ajmer-Jabalpur trains were rescheduled.

Earlier in the day, three gates of the Kota Barrage were opened to release water, officials said.

The Meteorological Department said Sawai Madhopur on Friday received 254 mm of rain in 24 hours --“ the highest in the state.

Bhilwara's Bijolia tehsil recorded 170 mm, sending the Panchanpura Dam to overflow and the Eru River in spate.

According to the weather department, from 8 am to 5 pm on Friday, Bunti's Nainwa received 335 mm rain, Keshoraipatan 165 mm, Raithal 93 mm. Baran's Anta received 112 mm rain, Kishanganj 109 mm, Mangrol 108 mm, Baran city 129 mm, Ramgarh-Pachwara of Dausa 143 mm.

According to officials, the district continues to remain on high alert as more rain is forecast in parts of eastern Rajasthan.

The Met office had issued red alert for heavy rain in Kota and Bundi districts for Friday, and in Chittorgarh and Bhilwara for Saturday. The department has issued an orange alert for at least nine districts for the weekend.

In Jaipur, Chief Minister Sharma expressed serious concern over the rain situation in various districts and directed the officials to be vigilant. He has sent Disaster Management, Relief and Civil Defence Minister Dr Kirori Lal Meena and Minister of State for Energy Heeralal Nagar to visit the affected areas and take stock of the situation.

According to an official spokesperson, the chief minister spoke to the collectors of Tonk, Kota, Sawai Madhopur, Bundi and Dausa districts over the phone and reviewed the relief and rescue operations. He directed the NDRF, SDRF and police administration to remain alert and ensure prompt action.

Sharma has given instructions to immediately conduct a special Girdawari (assessment) on the damage to crops affected by heavy rains. PTI AG RUK RUK