Maharashtra weather: NDRF, Army teams pressed in to rescue stranded people in Nagpur amid waterlogging | VIDEO

Maharashtra rains: A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) today (September 23) evacuated as many as six people stranded in the Ambajhari Lake area following heavy rainfall in parts of Nagpur city in Maharashtra. A team was deployed in the rain-affected area to rescue people, NDRF said.

A video clip shows a team of NDRF in a submerged home, and rescuing an elderly man in an area flooded with knee-high water. Two columns of the Indian Army have been deployed for relief operations at Nagpur, based on requisition by the District Administration of city.

Check your city's weather forecast for today here

The video also shows cars submerged, water-logged roads with a local recording of the devastation caused. Waterlogging was also reported at Canal Road Ramdaspeth in Nagpur where locals were stuck in their houses as flood waters gushed into their homes.

Another video showed a man perching on a window waiting for waters to subside following heavy rains in the area.

In a video that went viral on social media, Office-goers were seen wading through water-logged roads and public transport buses submerged."A team of NDRF conducted floodwater rescue operations and safely evacuated 6 people in the Ambajhari Lake area. Rescue operation is still underway," NDRF said in a brief statement.

IMD Weather forecast:

The Regional Meteorological Center, Mumbai had predicted heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms over part of Konkan and ghat areas of Madhya in Maharashtra for three days ending today.

On the severe waterlogging witnessed in Nagpur, District Collector Dr Vipin Itankar said, "Because of the 100-125 mm incessant rainfall in the night, Ambajhari lake overflowed which resulted in waterlogging at the low-lying areas. 200-300 people were rescued from there by the NDRF and SDRF teams. There is an alert for rain today as well. So I appeal to the people to be vigilant and the people living in low-lying areas should move to higher grounds to be safe". 

Heavy rains flooded many parts of Nagpur city, following which 180 people, including 40 students from a school for the hearing and speech-impaired, were rescued, said Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavi today.

Devendra Fadnavis will visit and review the rain-affected areas in Nagpur today evening. 

The National Disaster Response (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are rescuing people from flooded homes and streets. Two Army units are reaching the Ambazari area, where a lake overflowed, added Fadnavis.

The city received torrential downpours from Friday midnight. According to the weather department, Nagpur airport reported 106 mm of rainfall till 5:30 am.

Several roads and residential areas have been inundated due to heavy rains, said officials. The administration has declared a holiday for schools and colleges as a precautionary measure.

Fadnavis, who is an MLA from Nagpur, took to X in the morning to share that he was continuously monitoring the rain situation in the city.

“There has been incessant rainfall due to which the Ambazari lake is overflowing. The low-lying area around it is affected more due to this. Other parts of the city too are affected,” said his office on X.

The deputy CM has instructed the Nagpur collector, municipal commissioner and police commissioner to “immediately activate multiple teams for rescuing people who are stuck at few places”, Fadnavis’s office said.

HELPLINE NUMBERS:

Later, Fadnavis said on X that two units of NDRF and two units of SDRF, which were divided into 7 groups, had rescued 140 citizens. Similarly, 40 students were rescued from a school for the hearing and speech-impaired, he said.

The fire department is also carrying out rescue work, the deputy CM said. Fadnavis also appealed to people not to believe in any rumours. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation has advised people not to step out of their homes unless necessary. Due to continuous rains, many city roads are waterlogged, it said waterlogged.

The Nagpur centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said “severe/moderate thunderstorm with lightning” will likely continue at isolated places in Nagpur, Bhandara and Gondia districts. There is also a possibility of “intense rain at isolated places” in these areas, it said.

Light to moderate rainfall is likely to occur at many places in Wardha and some parts of Chandrapur, Bhandara and Gondia districts. Light rainfall is very likely to occur at isolated places over Amravati, Yavatmal and Gadchiroli, it added.

(With agencies inputs)