Madhya Pradesh is facing relentless rain, with alerts issued in 42 districts. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted more heavy rainfall in the coming days. Rivers are swelling, dams are at capacity, and rural areas are on flood watch.
On Friday, the IMD issued an orange alert for very heavy rain in 20 districts, including Jabalpur, Rewa, Sidhi, Shahdol, Mandla, Katni, and Betul. A yellow alert is in place for another 22 districts, such as Gwalior, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, and Sagar.
Dr. Divya E. Surendran, senior scientist at IMD, said, “Three major weather systems are active over central India. These include a low-pressure area and two trough lines. This combination will cause widespread rain for the next 72 hours.”
The effect of this system was visible on Thursday. Rewa recorded over two and a half inches of rain in just nine hours. Gwalior, Mandla, Damoh, Seoni, and Satna also saw intense downpours.
In many areas, rivers and streams are flowing above danger levels. The Narmada River is in spate across several districts. The Harsi Dam, located on the Shivpuri-Gwalior border, has reached full capacity. Water has started overflowing, posing a flood threat to around 20 nearby villages.
Flooding has already begun in low-lying areas. Local officials confirmed evacuations are underway in parts of Mandla and Rewa. Rescue teams are on standby across all high-risk zones.
Schools in affected districts have been closed. Road transport is disrupted in some places due to waterlogged roads and damaged culverts.
Dr. Surendran added, “The system is expected to strengthen further. Central, western, and northern parts of the state will see the heaviest rainfall on July 12 and 13.”
Forecast for three days
| Date | Orange Alert (Very Heavy Rain) | Yellow Alert (Heavy Rain) |
|---|---|---|
| July 11 | Jabalpur, Panna, Satna, Rewa, Sidhi, Singrauli, Maihar, Katni, Umaria, Shahdol, Anuppur, Dindori, Mandla, Balaghat, Seoni, Chhindwara, Pandhurna, Betul, Narmadapuram | Gwalior, Sheopur, Shivpuri, Datia, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Sagar, Damoh, Vidisha, Raisen, Narsinghpur |
| July 12 | Jabalpur, Damoh, Katni, Mandla, Narsinghpur, Narmadapuram, Bhopal, Gwalior, Ujjain, Agar-Malwa, Rajgarh, Shajapur, Dewas, Harda, Betul, Sehore, Raisen, Vidisha, Sagar, Guna, Ashoknagar, Shivpuri, Sheopur, Datia, Chhindwara, Pandhurna, Seoni, Balaghat, Dindori, Umaria, Chhatarpur, Panna, Satna, Maihar, Rewa, Mauganj | Other districts under light to moderate rain warning |
| July 13 | Indore, Ujjain, Ratlam, Dhar, Khargone, Khandwa, Harda, Dewas, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Jhabua, Alirajpur, Barwani, Burhanpur, Agar-Malwa, Rajgarh, Shajapur, Vidisha, Sehore, Raisen, Narmadapuram, Betul, Sagar, Narsinghpur, Chhindwara, Pandhurna, Guna, Ashoknagar, Shivpuri, Sheopur, Morena, Datia, Damoh, Seoni, Balaghat | Remaining districts may see light rain |
Disaster response teams have been deployed across flood-prone districts. Control rooms have been activated in every district with a warning in place. Local administrations are monitoring water levels in dams and rivers closely.
The IMD urges residents in vulnerable areas to stay indoors, avoid rivers and drains, and follow updates from district officials. As rainfall is expected to intensify, more alerts may be issued through the weekend.
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