India Meteorological Department (IMD) has sounded an alert about heavy rainfall in Nagpur district during the next two days while District Disaster Management Authority has cautioned the people residing nearby the rivers and nullahs to shift to safer places and take necessary care in view of possible release of water from irrigation projects and overflow from the dams.
Most of the dams have good storage of water while minor project are filled upto the brim. The heavy rains forecast by the department may result in opening the gates of dams any time by the officers of Water Resources Department. There is a chance of floods in the rivers or nullahs if the dams start overflowing, informed the authority.
The major irrigation projects have already good water storage like Totladoh dam (Ramtek) – 86 per cent, Navegaon-Khairy (Parseoni) – 79 per cent, Wadgaon (Umred) – 94 per cent and Nand dam (Umred) – 76 per cent. Nine medium dams in the district – Venna in Nagpur tehsil, Kanholibara in Hingna tehsil, Pandhraobodi-Umred, Chandrabhaga, Jam in Katol tehsil, Mordham, Kesarnullha dams in Kalmeshwar tehsil, Umri and Kolar medium projects in Saoner tehsil have 100 per cent water storage. The water is overflowing from these dams. The water storage at other medium dams is as follows: Makardhokda – 46 per cent, Sayki – 96 per cent and Khekranullah – 96 per cent.
The department can open the gates of major irrigation projects at any time, taking into consideration heavy rainfall in the catchment area plus flowing water from the nearby areas towards reservoir while the water will start overflowing from the dams having no gates, resulting in floods in the river and nullahs.
District Disaster Management Authority has, therefore, appealed to the people/farmers residing in low-lying areas to shift their agricultural implements and domestic animals to safer places. Persons should take care while crossing the rivers or not enter in the water body. Citizens at the banks of rivers should immediately move elsewhere and do not venture to go out if it is raining. They should not take shelter in dilapidated houses/structures. Moreover, they should not try to cross the bridges/culverts of the rivers/nullhas in spate.
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