Bastar floods: Indravati swells past danger mark, IAF airlifts 16

Severe flooding in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region has left at least one person dead by drowning, a senior official said, after the Indravati river burst past its danger level following days of heavy rain and the release of water from two dams in neighbouring Odisha.

The rain, linked to cyclonic storm Arnab over the Bay of Bengal, fell continuously from September 23 to 26. By around 6 am on Sunday, the river had crossed its danger mark of 8.3 metres and peaked at 12.39 metres, inundating low-lying areas. The level has since begun to recede, easing pressure on the administration and residents.

Road links have been badly hit. Officials said the national highway has been cut off in districts including Bijapur and Sukma, and several buses on the Raipur-Jagdalpur route were left stranded. On Saturday, relief teams rescued about half a dozen truck drivers and helpers trapped by floodwaters near Sonarpal on National Highway-30; the group had climbed onto the roofs of their vehicles to escape the current.

A government official in Jagdalpur said several villages across the region's seven districts have been isolated by the rains.

Rescue operations involving the district administration, the State Disaster Response Force and disaster management teams have brought 1,215 people to safety so far. On Sunday, 225 people were rescued from Kohkapal, 57 from Dongaghat, 85 from the Housing Board and Bank Colony areas, and 21 from Durkiguda, while 827 others were rescued over the preceding three days.

Sixteen civilians, among them women and children, were airlifted by the Indian Air Force, while 1,203 people were moved to safety by boat. The air operation began after information that 10 to 12 civilians were stranded in kutcha huts on the north bank of the Indravati near Dongaghat village. A Central Air Command crew spotted the group gathered on the roof of a hut at risk of collapsing under the floodwaters. With little time to spare, a Garud commando was lowered onto the fragile roof to help them, and all 12 were winched aboard the hovering helicopter.

Relief camps have been set up for those displaced. Sixty-five camps are housing more than 9,200 people, with food, clean drinking water, medical facilities and essential supplies arranged in both urban and rural areas. As the water recedes, administrative teams are continuing to monitor the situation, and health personnel remain posted at the camps.