Heavy Rain Hits Madhya Pradesh: Tawa Dam Gates Opened, Alert in 34 Districts

Heavy rain continues to affect large parts of Madhya Pradesh. On Tuesday, the Meteorological Department issued yellow and orange alerts for 34 districts.

Rain has not stopped since late Monday night in Bhopal, Raisen, and Itarsi. Many roads are waterlogged. In several areas, water has entered homes and shops.

In Itarsi, officials opened nine gates of the Tawa Dam to release excess water. Each gate was lifted 7 feet. One lakh cusecs of water is now flowing out. The current water level of the dam is 1159.80 feet.

NK Suryavanshi, Executive Engineer of the Tawa Project Division, said, “We are releasing water to manage the rising levels. People living near the Tawa and Narmada rivers should stay alert and avoid the riverbanks.”

Bhopal is also facing high water levels. Continuous rainfall has raised the Bada Talab’s water level to 1661.05 feet. The full tank level is 1666.80 feet.

In Sehore, the Kolans river is flowing one foot above normal. The rising river is feeding into the Bada Talab. Local schools like Carmel Convent and St. Joseph Co-ed in Bhopal have been closed due to the downpour. Campion School is running only short test sessions.

Raisen is witnessing similar trouble. Mahamaya Chowk and other low-lying areas are flooded. Water has filled the streets and entered homes. St. Francis Convent School has declared a holiday.

In Vidisha, water has entered shops and houses. Children were seen wading through flooded streets on their way to school.

Senior meteorologist Dr. Divya E. Surendran said, “There is a strong low-pressure system and trough activity over Madhya Pradesh. This is causing the heavy rain. The same conditions will continue today.”

She also shared that some districts have already received more rain than expected. “We’ve recorded 25.4 inches of rainfall so far this monsoon. That’s 70 percent of the season’s total. Eight districts, including Gwalior, Shivpuri, and Tikamgarh, have already met or exceeded their seasonal quota.”

Districts like Gwalior, Sheopur, Morena, Bhind, Datia, and Shivpuri may receive up to 8.5 inches of rain within 24 hours. The IMD has issued a very heavy rain warning for these 14 districts.

Another 20 districts, including Sehore, Dewas, Jabalpur, and Betul, are under a heavy rain alert. These areas could also see strong downpours throughout the day.

More than 25 districts received heavy rain on Monday. Shajapur recorded 1.5 inches, while Bhopal, Pachmarhi, and Narmadapuram recorded about 1 inch. Rain also hit Indore, Ujjain, Ratlam, and Balaghat.

Despite clear warnings, some people were seen visiting the Badi Mahadev waterfall in Bhanpura. Officials had already banned public entry there due to safety concerns.

The current weather is putting pressure on basic services and daily life in several parts of the state. With alerts still active, the government has asked people to stay indoors where possible and avoid travel in flood-prone areas.

Dr. Surendran said, “This is not over yet. We expect more heavy rain today. People should keep a close watch on updates and follow local safety instructions.”

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