THE India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday issued a Red Alert for Kanker district, warning of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places during the next 24 hours, while placing 13 other districts under an Orange Alert and five districts under a Yellow Alert amid an intensifying monsoon spell across Chhattisgarh. According to Meteorological Centre, Raipur, Orange Alert has been issued for Balod, Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewada, Dhamtari, Gariaband, Kondagaon, Mahasamund, Mohla-Manpur-AmbagarhChowki, Narayanpur, Raipur, Rajnandgaon and Sukma, where heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places during the next 24 hours. Yellow Alert has been sounded for Balodabazar, Bemetara, Durg, Kabirdham and KhairagarhChhuikhadan-Gandai, with forecasts of heavy rainfall at isolated locations. During the subsequent 48 hours, heavy rainfall is also expected over Mungeli, Kabirdham, Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai, Rajnandgaon, MohlaManpur-Ambagarh-Chowki and Kanker districts.

 

The IMD has cautioned that intense rainfall could trigger waterlogging in urban centres, flooding in low-lying areas, reduced visibility, slippery roads, disruption to road traffic, closure of low-level bridges across canals and inundation of agricultural fields. Residents have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel and exercise caution in vulnerable locations. Rainfall data released by the IMD at 8.30 am on Wednesday showed Dantewada recording the State’s highest rainfall at 186.3 mm, followed by Raipur (145.8 mm), Mahasamund (141 mm), Gariaband (140.9 mm), Surajpur (134 mm), Bijapur (130 mm) and Balrampur (123.2 mm), reflecting widespread monsoon activity across southern and central Chhattisgarh. In a district-level nowcast issued at 1.22 pm, the IMD also forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, moderate rainfall and wind speeds of 30-40 kmph over several districts, including Raipur, Balod, Dhamtari, Gariaband, Mahasamund, Kanker, Rajnandgaon, Bastar, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Balodabazar, Durg and Bemetara, urging people to remain alert to rapidly changing weather conditions.