29 villages marooned: Sardar Sarovar water level rising

Bhopal, Aug 1 (UNI) Many rivers and rivulets in Madhya Pradesh are in spate following incessant rains for the last two days and 29 villages in Jhabua district have been marooned by the backwater of the Sardar Sarovar dam on the Narmada river, officials said today.

Residents of the villages affected by Sardar Sarovar project had taken shelter on hillocks and the district authorities were monitoring the situation, Jhabua Collector Rajkumar Pathak said.

Meanwhile, 450 families have been displaced after flood water entered their huts on the bank of Narmada near Mandla town. They have been put up in camps, while seven members of a family trapped in a marooned hillock for about 20 hours were rescued this morning, a report from Mandla said.

Narmada was receding as rains stopped in catchment areas in Mandla, which received 20 cm rainfalls in last 24 hours.

Besides Narmada, Anas, Hathni, Sunar, Nowgaon and Pampavati rivers were in spate in Jhabua district. Narmada water level touched 116.54 metre this morning, just few metres below the danger level of 119 m. At present, the dam's height is 121 metre, Mr Pathak said.

In the state capital, heavy rains had stopped this morning giving relief to residents of low lying areas.

Heavy rains accompanied by storm lashed Indore since last night.

Met office sources said heavy rains lashing the state were likely to continue in next two days with low pressure area built in the Bay of Bengal and Kutch region.

In the last 24 hours, Mandla recorded highest rainfall of 20 cm followed by Neemuch at 16 cm, Bhopal 15, Shajapur-13, Mandsaur 12 and Vidisha eight cm.

UNI Team-SP AK KP1434