Heavy rain floods Chhattisgarh; one dead, Bastar villages cut off, schools shut in 8 districts

Incessant heavy rain lashed several parts of Chhattisgarh on Friday, triggering flooding, waterlogging and disruption across the state, with a rain-related death reported in Kondagaon and several villages in the Bastar region cut off, officials said.

A 40-year-old farmer drowned after falling into a flooded drain while trying to catch fish in a partially submerged paddy field, officials said.

In view of the severe weather, district administrations declared a holiday for government and private schools in eight districts — Dantewada, Bijapur, Kondagaon, Kanker, Bastar, Gariaband, Dhamtari and Durg. Quarterly examinations scheduled in government schools were also postponed in the affected areas.

The Raipur, Bastar and Durg divisions witnessed some of the worst impact, with overflowing streams inundating roads and residential areas.

In Jagdalpur, floodwaters entered low-lying settlements and several houses. Sections of National Highway-30 were also submerged, disrupting traffic between Raipur and Jagdalpur.

An alert was issued for low-lying and riverside areas along the Indravati River, which flows along Jagdalpur. The Bastar collector directed officials and the Home Guards commandant to remain in the field and monitor the situation.

Several villages in Sukma and Bijapur districts were cut off by floodwaters. The administration urged people not to venture near swollen rivers, streams and other water bodies and asked them to report emergencies to local disaster control rooms.

In Dhamtari, water levels in major reservoirs rose rapidly following continuous rainfall. As of 8 am, the Gangrel reservoir was at 98.14% of its capacity, while Murumsilli was at 100%, Dudhawa at 97.21% and Sondhur at 88.18%.

Authorities opened 10 gates of Gangrel to release 54,950 cusecs of water. Of this, 48,950 cusecs was being released into the Mahanadi River and 6,000 cusecs into a canal through the Rudri barrage. Officials said further releases could be required depending on inflow levels.

Rajnandgaon, Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki and Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai districts have also been receiving continuous rainfall since Thursday morning amid an orange alert.

Waterlogging near Chandandih along the Kumhari overbridge on the Raipur-Durg National Highway slowed traffic, prompting police to divert vehicles through alternative routes. Several areas of Raipur, including Sundar Nagar, Mahadevghat Road and the old Vidhan Sabha Road, also reported significant waterlogging.

According to the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Chhattisgarh has received normal rainfall during the monsoon so far. Between June 1 and September 25, the state recorded an average rainfall of 1,082.4 mm, which is 100.1% of its 10-year seasonal average of 1,081.5 mm. The state received an average of 52.8 mm rainfall in the 24 hours preceding 8 am on Friday.

The Meteorological Centre in Raipur has forecast light to moderate rain at most places in the state over the next 24 hours, with isolated heavy rainfall and thunderstorms likely.