Flood hits Chhattisgarh capital, 6000 people evacuated

Raipur, June 30 (UNI) Two people were killed and more than 6,000 people shifted to relief camps as normal life was thrown out of gear following torrential rains that lashed the state capital continuously for 17 hours since last evening.

Heavy rains, which began at about 2030 hours last night, continued throughout the night, affecting normal life in Raipur, a city where drainage systems are non-existent.

Weather department spokesman J K Ingle said the city recorded 12 inch rainfall during night. He said heavy rainfall in Chhattisgarh was due to the depression, which was centered at Puri in neighbouring Orissa.

The depression has now moved to Pendra Road near Bilaspur. Heavy rainfall was likely in almost all the divisions of the state during the next 24 hours.

Raipur Mayor Sunil Soni told UNI that heavy water logging occurred in several residential colonies in the state capital. More than 6,000 people, residing in the low-lying areas, had been shifted to relief camps set up in school and other buildings.

He said there were numerous incidents of house collapses.

A person drowned at Chandi Nagar in the city while he was trying to save a child from flood waters.

A report from Mahasamund said a woman was washed away at Sitli rivulet. Meanwhile, railways had cancelled few trains as tracks were flooded on Raipur-Titlagarh section.

Railway spokesman A K Jaiswal said 229 UP Durg-Vishakhapattanam and 230 Dn Vishakhapattanam-Durg passenger train had been cancelled, while 2808 New Delhi-Samata Express and Bilaspur-Thirupati express had been diverted through Jharsuguda.

State Revenue Minister Brijmohan Agrawal said the situation was now under control, as efforts had been stepped up to pump out water from the low-lying areas in the city.

UNI