MP gets respite from heavy rain

Bhopal, Aug 20 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh finally got some respite from heavy rains that wrecked havoc in the past week, claiming several lives and leaving a trail of destruction.

The meteorological department said rains stopped as the low pressure area, near Hoshangabad, moved towards Rajasthan.

However, the upper air cycer over the Bay of Bengal could bring rains at some places in the next 24 hours.

The state capital, which was affected by heavy rains, got respite after rains stopped since last evening. Bhopal has received 1,205.6 mm rainfall so far from June 1, 441 m above average rainfall.

The department had warned that heavy rains would lash Ujjain division on Aug 18. However, rainfall occurred at isolated places and the district witnessed passing clouds today.

Directions were given to exercise alertness in all the districts in the division in this regard.

The district administration had announced holidays in schools for next two-three days on August 19.

The water level of Shivna river, which was in spate due to heavy rain in the past three days, has started receding. The flood water from Shivna river had entered the Pashupatinath temple but retreated later. The temple's ''Ashtmukhi Shivling' had completely submerged in the water.

The water level at the Gandhisagar dam in Mandsaur was 1,312.50 feet at 1100 hrs today.

Collector Nitesh Vyas said the capacity to store water in the dam was lessening. All the 19 gates were opened on the night of August 17 and five lakh cusec water was released. The gates were closed before the water level reached 1,309 feet.

He said 39 villages near the dam were affected and about 400 families from 32 villages were evacuated. The damage in the villages after rains stopped was being assessed.

More than dozen low-lying slums in the district were surrounded by water and above 600 people lodged in relief camps UNI Team-PS VD BD1904