Vidarbha rains: 1 dead after being swept away in Gadchiroli; IMD issues alerts for other districts

Nagpur, Aug 19 (PTI) One man died after being swept away in an overflowing stream following heavy rains in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, with the IMD issuing a red alert of extremely heavy rainfall in neighbouring Chandrapur and an orange alert for other adjoining districts, officials said on Tuesday.

Incessant rains in Gadchiroli have resulted in 12 roads, including two national highways and one state highway in the district, getting closed for traffic, they said.

The Vidarbha region comprises 11 districts - Nagpur, Chandrapur, Bhandara, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Yavatmal, Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Buldhana and Washim.

The Nagpur regional centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Chandrapur district, predicting extremely heavy rainfall at some places, while an orange alert has been issued for Nagpur, Gondia, Gadchiroli and Wardha districts with heavy to very heavy rainfall warning in the 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Wednesday.

Talking to PTI, scientist at the Nagpur IMD, Dr Praveen Kumar, said, "A red alert has been issued for Chandrapur district as there is a possibility of extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places and heavy to very heavy rainfall at some places." Heavy rainfall has also been predicted at isolated places in Washim, Yavatmal, Akola, Amravati, Bhandara and Buldhana districts, he said.

A 19-year-old man from Kodpe village in Bhamragad taluka of Gadchiroli was swept away while crossing an overflowing stream on Monday. A search operation was launched for him and his body was recovered on Tuesday, a senior district disaster management officer of Gadchiroli said.

Districts in Vidarbha are likely to witness thunderstorms and lightning, and the IMD has advised people to take precautionary measures and stay alert.

"From August 22 onwards, there will be a reduction in rainfall intensity (in the region). The maximum temperature is very likely to fall by two to four degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature might again reach 30 to 33 degrees Celsius over Vidarbha from August 23," Kumar said.

"The major system that could give severe weather over Vidarbha is the shear zone roughly along latitude 20 °N over the Indian region, seen between 3.1 and 4.5 kms above mean sea level," he said.

The depression over south coastal Odisha moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 11 kmph in the past six hours and lay centred at 8.30 am on Tuesday over south interior Odisha - about 50 km northwest of Daringabadi, 90 km east of Bhawanipatna and 90 km southeast of Titlagarh, the official said.

"It is likely to continue to move west-northwestwards across south Odisha and south Chhattisgarh and weaken into a well marked low pressure area during next 12 hours," he added.

Heavy rains have battered several districts of the state, including Mumbai and its metropolitan region, affecting the normal life. PTI COR CLS GK NP