Chhattisgarh shuts all schools on September 26 as heavy rain triggers flood-like conditions
All government, private and aided schools in Chhattisgarh will remain closed on September 26 as heavy rain inundates low-lying areas and swells rivers, with a rain-related death reported in Kondagaon.
The Chhattisgarh government has declared a holiday for all schools across the State on Saturday, September 26, 2026, after relentless rain inundated low-lying areas, raised river and stream levels and severed road links to remote settlements.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai announced the closure of government, private and aided schools in a post on X on Friday, September 25, stating that the safety of students was the foremost consideration. He urged parents to keep their children at home and asked residents to stay alert and avoid unnecessary travel.
The Chief Minister said the downpour could cause waterlogging, push up water levels in rivers and streams, and disrupt transport in several places, which prompted the decision to keep children out of harm's way.
Separately, Mr. Sai instructed District Collectors to carry out relief and rescue operations with full vigilance, particularly in the Bastar division, which comprises seven districts. Assistance to affected people must not be delayed, he said, adding that the administration should treat citizens' safety as its highest priority and remain ready for any eventuality.
Officials have been told to track the situation closely, with special attention to villages and settlements in low-lying areas and those close to rivers and streams. The Chief Minister also asked relief and rescue teams to stay ready with the necessary resources, and directed district administrations, police, urban local bodies, panchayats and other departments to coordinate so that help reaches people immediately in an emergency.
He further directed that safe shelters, food, drinking water, medicines and other essentials be arranged as needed, and advised people against venturing into waterlogged areas or swollen rivers and streams, asking them to follow advisories issued by district authorities.
Incessant rain battered several parts of the State on Friday, flooding low-lying pockets, swelling rivers and cutting off remote settlements in the Bastar region. A rain-related death was reported in Kondagaon district, where a 40-year-old farmer drowned after falling into a flooded drain while trying to catch fish in a partially submerged paddy field, officials said.
According to official figures, the State received an average of 52.8 mm of rain in the 24 hours preceding the update. Between June 1 and September 25, 2026, Chhattisgarh recorded an average of 1,082.4 mm, marginally above its 10-year seasonal benchmark of 1,081.5 mm — 100.1% of normal.
Rainfall has been uneven across districts. Balrampur recorded the highest share of its seasonal average at 169.4% (1,527.7 mm), while Narayanpur logged the highest cumulative figure at 1,600.4 mm. Several districts remain below normal: Surguja at 606.6 mm (75.5%), Jashpur at 828.7 mm (79.7%), Kabirdham at 672 mm (82.2%), Bemetara at 597.1 mm (74.5%) and Kanker at 1,110.7 mm (75.9%). Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki stood at 74.7% and Bijapur at 78.7% of their normal rainfall, while Bastar, Dantewada, Bijapur, Sukma, Korba, Janjgir-Champa, Durg and Rajnandgaon were close to normal.