Rain havoc in Nagpur CLAIMS 4 lives
   Date :24-Sep-2023

Rain havoc in Nagpur 
 
 
 
Staff Reporter
NAGPUR, 
THE city of Nagpur faced the wrath of Nature in the wee hours of Saturday as it received intense rainfall, leaving many wondering if it was a cloudburst. Till filing of this report on Saturday evening, the administration had confirmed death of four persons, apart from the death of 14 cattle. Around 400 persons were rescued from various low-lying areas, and shifted to safer places. The downpour, with lightning and thunders, kept the Nagpurians awake with fear. Between 2.15 am and 4.30 am, Nagpur received 90 mm rainfall. Till 5.30 am, the city received total 109 mm rainfall. The city received cumulative rainfall of 116 mm till Saturday evening. The heavy rainfall resulted in city’s iconic Ambazari lake overflowing. The water from the lake unleashed a flood fury on the areas along the banks of city’s signature Naag river. The force of water was such that it left behind a trail of road destruction in the form of debris of paver blocks, and damage to roads and parts of bridges over the river. Eknath Shinde, Chief Minister, and Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister, were constantly in touch with the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and district administration.

Rain havoc in Nagpur1 
 
At least two women and two men were confirmed dead. They included Meerabai Pilley (70), a resident of Mahesh Nagar, and Sandhya Dore (80), a resident of Surendragarh. One more body was recovered in Nag river near Panchsheel Square on Saturday evening, but identity could not be ascertained till filing of this report. One more man Sanjay Gadegaonkar reportedly died as he fell into a pit dug up at the construction site behind Trauma Centre. The areas of Ambazari, Sitabuldi, Mor Bhavan, Variety Square, etc were flooded. Two teams of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were divided into seven groups to streamline rescue of people trapped in low-lying areas. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and SDRF teams were deployed for flood rescue operations. The district administration requisitioned the Indian Army’s flood relief columns from Headquarters Uttar Maharashtra & Gujarat Sub-Area in the morning. Accordingly, two columns of the Indian Army with engineer equipment and boats were deployed in the area of Ambazari. They rescued about 40 persons in all age-groups and also provided them with medical aid.
 
All the forces put together rescued around 400 persons including senior citizens, children, and others. Around 40 students of Muk Badhir Vidyalaya also were evacuated to safer places. Two teams of NDRF, Fire and Emergency Services Department personnel of NMC were in action. NMC also issued emergency helpline numbers for citizens.
As soon as the news of the flood waters entering various localities of the city including some educational institutions spread, the district administration declared holiday to schools and colleges in the city as well as rural areas of the district.