Heavy monsoon rains since June 11 in vast Bastar region which is made up of seven districts, have inundated dozens of villages in low-lying areas and marooned about 8,000 people mostly the impoverished tribals, Government officials said on Saturday.
All major rivers in the region including Bastar’s lifeline, Indravati, has been flowing above danger mark which prompted authorities to rescue 300 families residing in catchment areas of the river. As many as two people were swept away by the swollen Indravati on Saturday.
Reports coming in from Bastar, Dantewada and Bijapur districts, confirm that at least 8,000 people have been marooned by flash flood. The local authorities were trying to reach out to people who needed urgent help.
The Bastar region which is spread out in about 40,000 sq km areas, has been cut off from neighbouring Odisha by road due to incessant rain and overflowing roads.
Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh Government has said in a statement that it had instructed authorities to launch rescue and relief operation in Bastar at war-footing level.
“Hundreds of houses have been submerged in Bastar because of torrential rains and floods caused by Indravati river, the state government is committed to provide all possible help to the people of Bastar in a time of natural disaster,’’ the statement read which was actually put out in Hindi.
Officials say that flood situation will worsen if rain continues to pour in for one or two more days. The Metrological department has predicted normal to heavy rain for flood-hit Bastar for the next 24 hours.