TORRENTIAL rains which started from Saturday and continued on Sunday also, have thrown normal life out of gear in district. Continuous rainfall caused rapid rise in the water levels of the Narmada River and its tributaries. By Sunday morning, the situation had reached to the point where bridges on Narmada river on the Jabalpur National Highway, specifically at Jogi Tikariya and Murki, were submerged. Additionally, the bridge near the Jabalpur-Mandla route and the 25-foot-high bridge over the Narmada River in Dindori town was also flooded. The submergence of these key bridges disrupted road connectivity between Dindori and the cities of Jabalpur and Mandla. As the Narmada river water level rose amidst the continuous rain, flood water started gushing into the areas situated along the bank of the river. Backwater started entering some houses situated along the riverbank in Hans Nagar and Saket Nagar. As a precautionary measure, the administration has begun relocating families living near the river to safer locations; seven such families have already been shifted to a night shelter. Weather department informed that the district received about six inches of rainfall over an 11- hour period ending Sunday morning. The continuous heavy rain has caused water levels in streams and rivers—both large and small—to rise.

 

The impact of the rainfall is visible across both urban and rural areas; water logging has occurred in low-lying regions, and transportation has been disrupted as rivers and streams overflow. People began gathering at the riverside on Sunday morning to witness the rising waters, prompting the deployment of police personnel for safety reasons. On steadily rising water level of the Narmada River on Sunday morning, the police sealed off access routes near Jogi Tikariya and the main Narmada bridge using barricades and ropes. People are being prevented from approaching the bridges and the river. Vehicular movement on the Jabalpur route has been disrupted due to the submergence of the Jogi Tikariya bridge. Meanwhile, traffic to the opposite bank of the river has been completely halted as the town's main Narmada bridge has also gone underwater. In view of the flood and waterlogging situation, Collector Anju Pawan Bhadauria and SP Ashish Khare are continuously visiting the affected areas alongside other officials. Both officers inspected the vulnerable riverside zones and gathered updates on the situation from the personnel deployed on the ground. Collector Anju Pawan Bhadauria stated that the administration had already issued an alert. Police and revenue department teams have been deployed along the riverbanks. Collector appealed to the public to avoid visiting waterlogged areas and the vicinity of rivers and drains. The administration is maintaining constant surveillance to ensure public safety.