Jaipur, July 31 (IANS) A flood threat looms over rural areas of Dholpur district after heavy rainfall in Hadoti and surrounding regions led to the release of nearly 5 lakh cusecs of water into the Chambal River — first from Kota and later from the Navnera Barrage.

As a result, the water level in the Chambal rose sharply, reaching 141.10 metres by 10 P.M. on Wednesday, according to the Water Resources Department. The old Chambal bridge has submerged under the rising waters, prompting the district administration to call in the Army, which is expected to arrive in Dholpur on Thursday.

With Chambal water entering villages in the Sarmathura and Rajakheda subdivisions, the risk of flooding has significantly increased.

Consequently, leave of all officers and employees has been cancelled. Despite water flowing over the old bridge, traffic on National Highway 44 remains unaffected as vehicles are being routed via the new bridge. The danger mark for the Chambal River is 131.79 metres, while the current level exceeds it by nearly 10 metres.

Meanwhile, Dholpur SP, Vikas Sangwan, and District Collector, Nidhi B.T., are actively monitoring the situation and visiting affected areas. Army personnel will also be deployed to flood-prone zones, including Rajakheda, to aid in relief and control operations.

Meteorological Center Jaipur Director, Radheshyam Sharma, stated that the low-pressure system, a remnant of the Bay of Bengal depression, will begin weakening from August 2. However, due to the monsoon trough line currently passing through Bikaner and Sikar, heavy rainfall is still expected in some parts of Rajasthan on Thursday. A decrease in rainfall activity is anticipated from August 1 onwards.

Earlier, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma conducted an intensive inspection of various rain-affected areas in Jaipur city on Wednesday evening, assessing the situation for over two-and-a-half hours.

During his visit, he stopped at B-2 Bypass Road, Sanganer, Sumer Nagar, Surajmal Circle, Muhana Mandi, and Chauradia Petrol Pump, issuing immediate instructions to officials to address waterlogging, damaged roads, potholes, and issues in the drainage system.

He also inspected the Dravyavati River near B-2 Bypass Road and directed officials to prune overgrown trees and repair ferro drain covers.

At the Sanganer camp office, he reviewed the status of waterlogged locations across the city and later visited Muhana Mandi intersection to evaluate the situation, giving directives for constructing a traffic circle and urgent road repairs at Maharaja Surajmal Circle and Kesar Nagar intersection.

–IANS

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