Bhopal:

More than 8,700 people have been shifted to safer places after heavy rains caused flood-like situation in many areas in Malwa and Nimar regions of Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Sunday.

Khargone, Barwani, Dhar, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Alirajpur and Indore districts saw heavy rains in the last two days. The intensity of the downpour reduced comparatively on Sunday.

In Jhabua district, eight persons were swept away after the embankment of a pond collapsed on Saturday night amid heavy rains in Bahadur Pada village, an official said, adding that two bodies were recovered on Sunday morning, while a search for three women and as many children is underway.

In Ujjain district, an Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper on Sunday rescued a pregnant woman and two other members of her family from the rooftop of their house located in a flooded agricultural field, an official said.

“8,718 people and 2,637 cattle have been shifted to safety in Malwa and Nimar regions. 610 jawans and 801 home guards were involved in rescue operations. The SDERF (State Disaster Emergency Response Force) launched 89 rescue operations,” a release said.

Indore, Khandwa, Khargone, Badwani, and Burhanpur districts are most hit by rains in the last two days.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said the Army and Air Force will be called in if required for flood relief operations in the state.

He held a virtual meeting with officials and gave instructions to deal with the situation.

Chouhan said he reviewed the situation caused by heavy rains in Khargone, Barwani, Dhar, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Alirajpur and Indore and spoke to officials of these districts.

The situation is under control but the people are on alert and teams of SDERF and the NDRF are working in these areas, while the flow in water bodies as well as rain has reduced, he said.

“The water has started receding in the affected areas. Our efforts are to keep the people safe. If required, the Army and Air Force would also be called in,” Chouhan said.

According to officials, 2,017 people are lodged in 45 relief camps in Khargone district while 227 were rescued from various villages in Indore district.

Eight teams of SDERF are involved in the relief operation in Indore district.

In Dhar district, 1,993 persons were shifted to higher places due to water-logging in 72 low-lying settlements, officials said.

The water level of the Narmada river is receding in Narmadapuram but in Burhanpur district, 20 families were shifted to safe places after the water level rose in the Tapti river.

In Khandwa, 500 people were shifted to safer places from the areas affected by the rising level of the Narmada river, officials said.

Tapti and Narmada rivers were flowing above the danger mark in Burhanpur and Khargone respectively.

The gates of dams, including Bargi (Jabalpur), Indira Sagar (Khandwa), Omkareshwar, Tawa (Narmadapuram), Bansujara (Tikamgarh), Rajghat (Ashok Nagar), Sanjay Sarovar (Seoni), and Parasdoh (Betul) were opened to release the water, officials added.

A total of 2,482 houses were partially damaged while 78 houses suffered extensive damage so far, officials said.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials said medium to heavy rains are likely on Monday in Ratlam, Mandsaur and Neemuch districts.

The rain in the districts under the Indore and Ujjain divisions will reduce from Monday, as per the Met department.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)