Rajasthan: Flood worsens; over 400 schools shut

Incessant rainfall over the last few days has caused a flood-like situation in various districts of Rajasthan, forcing the administration to shut down schools in various parts of the state.

As per reports, over 500 schools in Kota and Udaipur districts have been facing severe water logging, leaving the institutions shut.

The situation turned better on Wednesday as water started receding, however, several areas in these districts are still under water. Meanwhile, schools in Kota, Bundi and Baran have been reopened.

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“Due to very heavy rainfall in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, an excessive inflow of water in Chambal, Kalisindh, Parvan, Parvati and Mej rivers and the release of water from Kalisindh, Kota Barrage, Jawahar Sagar, Parvati Dam, flood situation has emerged in Kota, Bundi, Baran, Karauli, Sawai Madhopur, Jhalawar and Dholpur districts,” officials said.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot will conduct an aerial survey of the areas that have been severely hit by rains and meet the affected people on Thursday. The chief minister will conduct an aerial survey of the rain-hit areas of Bundi, Kota, Baran and Jhalawar districts.

He will also meet the affected people in Kota, Anta (Baran) and Jhalawar, an official spokesperson said.

Former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, along with her son and Jhalawar-Baran MP Dushyant Singh, conducted an aerial survey of flood-hit areas in Jhalawar, Kota and Baran districts.

More than 4000 people have been shifted from flood-hit areas to safer places in the last two days. Security personnel were deployed for rescue efforts in Kota, Jhalawar, Baran and Bundi districts of Rajasthan.

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An official of the state disaster management and relief department said in Jaipur that teams of the district administration, Army, Air Force, police, NDRF and SDRF successfully rescued 4,302 people from the flood-affected areas on Tuesday and Wednesday.

A flood alert has also been issued in Rajasthan’s Baran district as the Kalisindh river moves towards the red mark. The district administration has been put on alert mode.

As per reports, Baran Collector Narendra Gupta said that around 15 persons have to be airlifted from two locations while 81 persons have been rescued by NDRF and SDRF teams from three locations.

On request from the Rajasthan government, a rescue mission was launched by Indian Air Force’s Special Forces operatives. Braving inclement weather, a chopper evacuated 13 people stranded on a rooftop in Baran district.

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