By Lavanya Rathore
With the onset of the monsoon in India, the majority areas are already witnessing its devastating effect. There was heavy rain in Jharkhand’s Garhwa, Maharashtra’s Nashik, and Rajasthan’s Banswara, resulting in heavy floods, overflowing rivers, sweeping away vehicles, and drowning religious places.
Jharkhand: Crores Lost as Koyal River Floods Construction Site
There was heavy rain in Garhwa district of Jharkhand over the last two days and it brought a lot of havoc. The Koyal River, which forms the boundary between Garhwa and Palamu districts, was swelled by the floods caused by heavy rains. The consequence was that all materials stacked up to construct a bridge on the river were washed away, causing an estimated loss of crores of rupees. Luckily, as of now, there is no loss of human life, but the economic loss is huge and teaches us that greater flood preparedness should be integrated during the time of infrastructure development.
Nashik: Godavari Swells, Temples Submerged
Maharashtra is also bearing the brunt of the rain, with Nashik getting heavy rain since early morning. Godavari River is in spate, and temples on the riverbanks have been completely inundated. Ghats—where religious functions and aartis are worshipped by devotees in the usual way—are under water. Even Lord Hanuman’s statue stands knee-deep in water, which tells a lot about the water level surge.
Another accident by the rain has stranded a car in the gush of water. Rescue efforts are underway to retrieve the vehicle safely.
Rajasthan: Tractor Swept Away in Banswara Floodwaters
In Bihar’s Banswara district, the impact of heavy rainfall was felt in Makanpur village of Chhoti Sarwan Panchayat Samiti. There was a sudden increase in water on a low-lying bridge (rapat pulia), which carried away a tractor in which a local farmer was driving. The driver also went missing in the powerful current and his location is still not known. The accident is said to have happened between 1:00 PM and a video of the accident has become viral on social media. This river is the Buland River running from Sailana in Madhya Pradesh from Sarwan, Jahanpura, and Makanpur, merging eventually with the Mahidam reservoir at Ghodi Tejpur.
Monsoon Chaos Grips India
Even if monsoon provides relief from heat and fertility for agriculture is provided, its destructive capacity is once more realized in these initial incidents. The floods in Jharkhand, Nashik temple flooding, and Rajasthan tractor tragedy reinforce the importance of preventive engineering and warning systems.
