Chhattisgarh: Four killed after heavy rain lashes Bastar; several villages cut off

Heavy rains lashed four districts of Bastar division with over 68 people having been evacuated to safer places in the last 36 hours in Bastar, Bijapur and Dantewada districts

A family of four drowned after their car was swept away while crossing a flooded culvert in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district, officials said on Wednesday.

In Bastar district, the four family members drowned after their car was swept away by strong currents. (Sourced HT photo)

Heavy rains lashed four districts of Bastar division with over 68 people having been evacuated to safer places in the last 36 hours in Bastar, Bijapur and Dantewada districts.

Helicopters, boats and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel were involved in the rescue operations, they said.

In Bastar district, the four family members drowned after their car was swept away by strong currents while crossing the flooded Kanger Nala in the Kanger Valley National Park on Tuesday evening, a senior police official in Jagdalpur said.

The deceased were identified as Rajesh Kumar G (43), his wife Pavithra (40) and their minors. Their driver, Lala Yadu, managed to save himself by holding onto a tree and was later rescued, he said.

Rajesh, a native of Tamil Nadu, was working as a contractor in Raipur. The family had gone on an outing to Bastar, he said. The bodies of all four were recovered late Tuesday evening after the water level in the stream receded.

In another incident, a man was swept away while crossing the overflowing Cherpal stream in Bijapur district on Tuesday, and a search for him was underway, police said.

Chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai, who is currently on a visit to Japan, on Wednesday spoke to state officials and reviewed the flood situation in Bastar division, a government statement said.

According to officials, flood-like conditions persist in Dantewada, Bijapur and Bastar districts. Continuous relief work is underway in Lohandiguda, Darbha and Tokapal development blocks of Bastar district.

Twenty-one villagers were rescued from Mandar village in Lohandiguda block, while several others were evacuated to safer locations with the help of helicopters and boats. In the last 36 hours, over 68 people have been rescued from the region, they said.

The chief minister has instructed the SDRF to be kept on high alert and directed district magistrates of all districts in Bastar division to alert residents in low-lying areas and shift them to safer places promptly. Bastar division comprises seven districts – Bastar, Kanker, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Dantewada, Bijapur and Sukma.

“The state government is committed to ensuring the safety of every citizen. Public safety is our top priority. I have directed officials and SDRF to remain on high alert and extend timely assistance to the affected people as required,” Sai said in the release.

More than 100 villages each in Bijapur, Dantewada and Bastar districts have been cut off from the district headquarters due to heavy rainfall over the last two days.

Teams of SDRF and police personnel have been deployed for the timely evacuation of people stranded in floods, another government official said.

Heavy rains have also led to flooding in downstream areas of Sukma, Bijapur and Dantewada where water overflowed on roads at several points along the National Highways. District authorities have deployed motorboats along with Home Guard personnel to assist people in crossing flooded areas.