Heavy rainfall predicted in Jharkhand, 6 other states; red alert issued in Bihar
NDRF teams were on Friday deployed in Jharkhand capital Ranchi and Deoghar to rescue people from low-lying areas hit by incessant rains, officials said
Locals watch rainwaters flowing on a road in a flood-affected area after heavy rains, in Ranchi, Jharkhand, Friday, August 2. PTI
Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Bihar are likely to receive heavy rainfall on Saturday (August 3), the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
In a series of posts on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, IMD said depression over north Jharkhand and neighbourhood had intensified into deep depression at 8:30 AM IST on Saturday.
“The depression over north Jharkhand and neighbourhood moved westwards and lay centered at 0530 hrs IST of 03/08/24 over the same region. It is likely to move west-northwestwards across NW Jharkhand, SE Uttar Pradesh, East MP and adjoining North Chhattisgarh in next 48 hrs,” it said.
In another post, it added, “Depression over north Jharkhand and neighbourhood intensified into Deep Depression at 0830 hrs IST of 03rd Aug over the southwest Bihar and adjoining northwest Jharkhand. To move across northwest Jharkhand, southwest Bihar, southeast UP and east MP during next 48 hours.”
On Friday night, the IMD had issued a ‘red alert’ for extremely heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and lightning over the next 36 hours in nine districts of Bihar.
It also issued an ‘orange alert’ for districts like Arwal, Begusarai, Bhagalpur, Gaya, Jamui, Jehanabad, Kaimur, Katihar, Khagaria, Lakhisarai, Munger, Nalanda, Nawada, Rohtas and Sheikhpura.
"Extremely heavy rainfall to very heavy rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning is likely to occur at isolated places in Aurangabad, Banka, Bhagalpur, Gaya, Jamui, Katihar, Munger, Nawada and Rohtas districts in the next two-three days,” the IMD said in a bulletin.
Red alert denotes ‘take action’, orange alert ‘be prepared’, yellow alert ‘watch and stay updated’ and green alert signifies ‘no action needed’.
Meanwhile, NDRF teams were on Friday deployed in Jharkhand capital Ranchi and Deoghar to rescue people from low-lying areas hit by incessant rains, officials said.
Rescue operation is ongoing in low-lying areas, including New Bandhgari locality in Sadar police station area of the capital, an NDRF official said.
"Our team, headed by Deputy Commandant Vinay Kumar, has rescued about 40 people from Ranchi's low-lying areas so far," said NDRF's Brajesh Kumar Singh.
A senior official said all districts are on alert due to the continuous rainfall, with Ranchi recording 90 mm. The state government has closed all schools up to Class 12, a government notification said.
"The low pressure area over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining Jharkhand moved west-northwestwards, intensified into a depression and lay centered at 1730 hours IST of today, the 2nd August over north Jharkhand and neighbourhood near latitude 24.2°N and longitude 85.2°E, about 70 km south-southeast of Gaya (Bihar) and 120 km east of Daltonganj (Jharkhand)," said India Meteorological Department, Ranchi, in-charge Abhishek Anand.
The IMD has issued a 'red alert' for extremely heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and lightning for seven districts in the state, and an 'orange alert' for four districts.
(With agency inputs)