15 killed in Madhya Pradesh deluge; more rain in store

With heavy rains lashing Madhya Pradesh, the death toll due to flood-related mishaps has gone up to 15 in the state, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Sunday.

Seven persons died due to flood in different parts of the state in last 24 hours, he told reporters.

On Saturday, the chief minister said eight persons had died due to the heavy downpour in last couple of days.

On Sunday, Chouhan convened a meeting of top officials, including Chief Secretary Anthony de Sa and Director General of Police Rishi Kumar Shukla, and reviewed the situation due to the heavy rains in the state.

During the meeting, the chief minister said all the 51 district collectors should be alert and agile to deal with the flood situation and extend immediate help to the people in distress.

People living in the camps should not face any problem, he said, adding clean drinking water should be provided to the people.

Health officials should keep a watch in the areas affected by floods, he further said.

Meanwhile, Indian Meteorological Department’s Bhopal Centre Director Dr Anupam Kashyapi said that heavy to very heavy rains are likely to lash Indore, Ujjain and Hoshangabad divisions, besides some parts of the state capital in the next 24 hours.

He said the rain activity will continue in other parts of the state due to moisture in the atmosphere.

Less monsoon activity will be witnessed in eastern MP in next 24 hours, he said, adding the rainfall is expected to reduce in the entire state on July 12.

The heavy rains had earlier thrown normal life out of gear, affecting road, railway traffic, and snapped power supply in many places across the state.