Flood situation improving in Madhya Pradesh

The flood situation in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh was improving on Saturday, with the army and the civic authorities engaged in relief operations. But flood and heavy rains still claimed two lives in the state.

The rains also led to collapse of 68 houses elsewhere in the state and traffic was badly affected in Ratlam railway division after tracks were submerged at some places, reports said.

The flood control room in Bhopal said 27 villages were affected in Balaghat district where 52 houses collapsed. About 200 residents of Deoribeli village were removed to safer places and road links continued to remain disrupted at many places.

A youth, Lalchand, was drowned in Newarbedi village; in Rajnandgaon district, a man was washed away in Khepakhand area and 16 houses were damaged during the last three days.

The waters of the Narmada river at Khalghat bridge in Dhar district was now receding while the water level at Hoshangabad was 945 feet, 19 feet below the danger mark, the reports said.

A report from Ratlam said heavy rains on the Dawoo-Godhra section of the Western Railway had weakened the Ratlam-Bombay track and many trains were halted at different stations. No good strain could run from Ratlam division. A number of trains were running late by several house and if traffic could not be restored soon. The halted trains were likely to be diverted through other routes.