High alert has been sounded in as many as nine districts of Jabalpur division following record water discharging from Rani Avanti Bai Sagar Pariyojana, Bargi Dam. All 21 gates of the reservoir have been opened with average height of 3.38 metres for discharging 3.82 lakh cusecs water. Water discharging from the Dam may be increased in the intervening night due to incessant rains in upstream of the reservoir.

 

 

Torrential rains which have been lashing the district for the last several hours swelled rive Narmada and its tributaries. All rivers and nullahs are flowing over danger mark. Road communication to many adjoining districts has disconnected. The district administration along with other concerned authorities are on high alert. Collector along with other senior officials have been monitoring the situation closely. They are in continuous communication with senior officials of adjoining villages.

 

 

It may be mentioned that it is for the second time after the year 1999 when record water discharging is made from all 21 gates of the reservoir. In 1999 5 lakh cusecs waster was released from 21 gates of the Bargi Dam. On Sunday, the dam authorities are releasing 3.82 lakh cusecs water from the Bargi dam. Likewise, huge water has been released from 10-gates of Bhimgarh Dam (Sanjay Sarovar) in Seoni district after a long interval of ten years.Collector, Bharat Yadav, while talking to ‘The Hitavada’, informed that district administration, police department, Municipal Corporation and State Disaster Emergency Relief Force (SDERF) are on high alert to counter any kind of situation arise due to incessant rains. Taking precautionary measures, holiday has been declared at all the Government and private schools in the district. Separate teams of SDRF and Home Guard persons have been deployed at the banks of river Narmada and other vulnerable areas. He said Bhedaghat has been converted into an island as river Narmada is flowing over the approaching bridges of Bain Ganga bridge and new bridge at Bhedaghat.

 

 

Narmada river is flowing above the danger mark and residents have been asked to maintain distance from the flooded river to avoid any kind of untoward incident. Along with river Narmada, all its tributary rivers include Hiran river, Gaur river, Pariyat etc are flooded following torrential rains in Jabalpur and adjoining districts. Some of the routes to Balaghat and Narsinghpur districts are disconnected due to flooded rivers and nullahs. Transportation on inter district routes include Balaghat – Mandla, Balaghat – Linga, Saleteka route Rajegaon – Kirna route has stopped due to flooded rivers and nullah. Narsinghpur – Jabalpur route gets disconnected due to Narmada flowing over Jhansighat bridge while several areas of Bagaspur, Narsinghpur, Karakbel, Gotegaon and Kareli get detached from roads. River water also gushed into several villages of Mandla district including Nainpur, Pindrai, Mavai, Anjania. Taking prompt action the local administration has evacuated dozens of houses located in low laying areas in Mandla district. It is learnt that Mandla – Dindori route is also get disconnected due to flood into Githauri nullah and Kindri nullah while Ramnagar – Mandla route, Ramnagar – Ghughri and Ramnagar – Padmi routes get blocked due to flooded nullah. Flood into Thanwar river leads to blocking of Nainpur – Seoni route.

 

 

Similarly, approach road for Kanha Tiger Reserve is also disconnected due to flooded nullah. Maharajpur road gets blocked near Nevargaon due to flood into Banjar river, Mavai – Mandla and Mavai – Dindori routes are also reportedly blocked. Water logging occurred at several villages near Madhopur due to flood into Matiyari river. Residents of Ghagha, Diwara, Mhamitpur, Narayanganj and Gujarsani villages facing water logging. Following the record water discharging from Bargi Dam, Bhitoli Kund, Tilwara Kund, Nag Mandir at Gwarighat, Shani Mandir at Tilwaraghat get submerged into the flood water.

 

 

It is informed that water level of Narmada is increasing and its reached till Gwarighat police station. Incessant downpour in the upstream of Bargi dam has increased the water level of the reservoir upto 422.95 metres against the peak level of 422.76 meters on Sunday evening. Taking stock the increasing level of the reservoir the dam administration decided to open 9 gates at 5 am, on Sunday but rapidly increasing inflow rescheduled the increased water discharging for four times and finally water discharging was started from 21 gates at 5:30 pm.

 

 

Executive Engineer of Bargi Dam, Ajay Soore informed that pointing out the increasing level of the reservoir the discharging of 10,845 cumecs/3,82,991 cusecs water from 21 gates of the reservoir was started on Sunday evening. The executive engineer of Bargi Dam informed that prior to the opening of gates, the Collectors, Superintendent of Police and other concerned officers of Jabalpur, Narsinghpur, Raisen, Hoshangabad, Sihore, Dewas, Harda, Khargon, Khandwa districts were informed for ensuring the implementation of necessary safety measures at banks of the river. Besides this, alert sirens were blown at the banks of river at Gwarighat, Lamhetaghat and Bhedaghat in Jabalpur to alert the residents.

 

 

Water discharging from 15 gates was carried out at opening height of 4-metres while two gates at 3-metres, two gates at 2-metres and two gates at 0.5 metre. Total 10,645 cumecs water was discharging from gates while 200 cumecs water was releasing from hydel power generation. Water discharging will be continued till the maintenance of an average water level at the reservoir.

 

 

District Administration and Police Department are on high alert to maintain safety arrangements at the banks of river Narmada and policemen have been deployed near bridges and banks of river at Gwarighat, Lamhetaghat, Bhedaghat and Tilwaraghat to avoid any kind of untoward incident.