Madhya Pradesh / IMD issues Orange, Yellow alerts for heavy rainfall in 17 districts of MP

Bhopal: At a time when several areas of Madhya Pradesh are facing flood-like situation, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday issued orange and yellow alerts for 17 districts of the central state. While an orange alert forecasts "very heavy to heavy rain," a yellow alert is for "heavy rainfall."

The orange alert is for five districts, and has projected rainfall measuring between 64.5 mm and 204 mm. These districts are: Vidisha, Raisen, Rajgarh, Guna and Ashok Nagar. Meanwhile, the yellow alert, forecasting rainfall measuring between 64.5 mm to 115 mm, is for the following 12 districts: Sehore, Shajapur, Agar-Malwa, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Shivpuri, Datia, Sheopur, Seoni, Sagar, Tikamgarh and Niwari. Both alerts are valid till Saturday morning.

Additionally, the weather department has projected showers or thundershowers at most places falling under nine divisions, including those in the state's Capital city of Bhopal.

"A lower pressure area is lying over central parts of north Madhya Pradesh. Almost all of Madhya Pradesh received intermittent rainfall in the last 24 hours. Guna district in the Gwalior division was lashed by rainfall measuring 156 mm, between 8:30 am to 2:30 pm on Friday," PK Saha, a senior meteorologist at the IMD's Bhopal office, said.

Meanwhile, speaking on the flood situation in Ashok Nagar, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted he spoke to Union home minister Amit Shah to send a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for rescue operations. "Helicopters of the Indian Air Force are not being able to take off due to heavy rains. Teams of the NDRF and the Army will soon arrive to rescue those stranded. Two additional teams of the State Disaster Response Force, too, have been sent to Ashok Nagar," Chouhan tweeted.