Incessant rain during the past couple of days have created flood-like in Chhattisgarh.
Gates of almost all key dams have been opened after the water level reached the danger mark in most rivers. The torrential rainfall had been creating trouble for the people residing in the villages adjoining dams as rising water levels have flooded low lying areas.
Water level in Pandit Ravishankar Shukla Reservoir (Gangrel Dam) in Dhamtari district has reached the danger mark. All the ten gates of the reservoir were opened on Monday after Water Resources Department (WRD) staff decided to release 1, 00,000 Cusecs of water.
Following release of water from the reservoir, people in the adjoining villages are facing flood-like situation and the District Collectors of Dhamtari and nearby districts Raipur, Mahasamund, Bilaspur, Janjgir, Raigarh and Gariaband have been directed to take precautionary measures.
Similarly, two of the gates of Mongra Barrage in Rajnandgaon were opened and 14,000 Cusecs of water was released in Shivnath River. Gate of one of the dams in Sukma district was also opened after Odisha released water in Shabri river.
Chief Minister Raman Singh has rushed State Minister for Water Resources, Brijmohan Agrawal to Dhamtari for analyzing the situation in the district and for taking necessary action.
According to information, Agrawal took meeting of District Collectors at Gangrel Rest House and issued necessary directives.
Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Depart-ment also issued directives to District Collectors of Raipur, Gariaband, Mahasamund, Baloda Bazar, Janjgir-Champa, Korba and Raigarh to make announcement by Kotwars of adjoining villages to take precautionary measures as water level in the rivers may rise due to release of water from Gangrel Dam. In case flood-like situation has occurred, the affected must be shifted to makeshift relief camps, he said.
Earlier, the India Meteorological Department had issued an orange alert for heavy rainfall in Southern Chhattisgarh and districts of Raipur, Durg and Bilaspur. Now it has issued a red alert for the next 24 hours and had warned of heavy to very heavy rain in these parts of the State.
A flood-like situation was created in Raipur also after heavy rain lashed the city for last couple of days. Streets in many localities are inundated and people are unable to get out of their homes.