Heavy rains flood several areas in Nagpur; 180 rescued
Nagpur (PTI): Heavy rains flooded many parts of Nagpur city, following which 180 people, including 40 students from a school for the hearing and speech-impaired, were rescued, said Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavi on Saturday.
The National Disaster Response (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are rescuing people from flooded homes and streets. Two Army units are reaching the Ambazari area, where a lake overflowed, said Fadnavis.
The city received torrential downpours from Friday midnight. According to the weather department, Nagpur airport reported 106 mm of rainfall till 5.30 am.
Several roads and residential areas have been inundated due to heavy rains, said officials.
The administration has declared a holiday for schools and colleges as a precautionary measure.
Fadnavis, who is an MLA from Nagpur, took to X in the morning to share that he was continuously monitoring the rain situation in the city.
"There has been incessant rainfall due to which the Ambazari lake is overflowing. The low-lying area around it is affected more due to this. Other parts of the city too are affected," said his office on X.
The deputy CM has instructed the Nagpur collector, municipal commissioner and police commissioner to "immediately activate multiple teams for rescuing people who are stuck at few places", Fadnavis's office said.
Later, Fadnavis said on X that two units of NDRF and two units of SDRF, which were divided into 7 groups, had rescued 140 citizens. Similarly, 40 students were rescued from a school for the hearing and speech-impaired, he said.
The fire department is also carrying out rescue work, the deputy CM said.
Fadnavis also appealed to people not to believe in any rumours.
The Nagpur Municipal Corporation has advised people not to step out of their homes unless necessary. Due to continuous rains, many city roads are waterlogged, it said waterlogged.
The Nagpur centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said "severe/moderate thunderstorm with lightning" will likely continue at isolated places in Nagpur, Bhandara and Gondia districts. There is also a possibility of "intense rain at isolated places" in these areas, it said.
Light to moderate rainfall is likely to occur at many places in Wardha and some parts of Chandrapur, Bhandara and Gondia districts.
Light rainfall is very likely to occur at isolated places over Amravati, Yavatmal and Gadchiroli, it added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
UP Cong chief Ajay Rai hospitalised after fainting, stable
Lucknow (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai was hospitalised here after he fell unconscious due to low sodium levels, party leaders said on Saturday.
They said he was admitted to Medanta Hospital on Friday evening and is stable.
"Ajay Rai was admitted to Medanta Hospital in Lucknow at around 6 pm on Friday after he fell unconscious as his sodium levels had dropped. He fell unconscious at his residence in Lucknow. For the entire day, he was engaged in party programmes and had also gone to the airport," Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi told PTI.
Congress in-charge of Uttar Pradesh Avinash Pande told PTI, "Now, he (Ajay Rai) is stable and I am also reaching Lucknow."
Medanta Hospital Director Dr Rakesh Kapoor told PTI that Rai collapsed at his home on Friday evening and was subsequently admitted to the hospital's emergency ward.
Medical examinations revealed that Rai was suffering from a sodium deficiency and elevated blood pressure. Doctors administered immediate treatment and he is doing significantly better now, Kapoor said.
A team of doctors is monitoring his health. Rai is conversing with others and his condition is stable, he added.
In a post on X late Friday night, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Rai a speedy recovery.
Rai hails from Varanasi and had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections against Modi from the parliamentary constituency. The Congress appointed him as the Uttar Pradesh unit chief in 2023.
