Monsoon 2020 image: IAF chopper rescues man in Chattisgarh’s Bilaspur
Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh:
A man in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur was rescued by personnel of the Indian Air Force Monday morning. He was stranded at Kutaghat Dam near Bilaspur due to heavy rain and rising level of the dam water. An Mi-17 chopper of the IAF was sent for the rescue mission.
In the video, the man can be seen holding on to a tree trunk as water gushes past. “Indian Air Force chopper today rescued a man at Khutaghat Dam…Due to heavy flow in the dam, IAF was requested to carry out a rescue operation,” Dipanshu Kabra, Inspector General, Bilaspur Range told news agency ANI.
Levels of most water bodies in the state have risen and rivers like the Sabari are in spate as heavy rainfall pounded Chhattisgarh for the last few days. Parts of Sukma district and surrounding areas have been flooded.
#WATCH Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper today rescued a man at Khutaghat Dam near Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh. Due to heavy flow in the dam, IAF was requested to carry out a rescue operation: Dipanshu Kabra, IG Bilaspur Range (Video source-Bilaspur Police) pic.twitter.com/IaGddp2gt6
— ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2020
An alert has been issued in the areas affected by Godavari river also. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday said, scattered rainfall is expected over the next five days in several states including Chhattisgarh. Monsoon has been active over two-thirds of India
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday directed all district officials and the police to stay alert in view of the continuous rainfall, and make necessary arrangements to deal with flood-like situation.
South Bastar, comprising Bijapur, Dantewada and Sukma districts are among the worst-hit by the continuous downpour. In these areas the water level in rivers has been steadily rising since the last 2-3 days. Several villages in interior areas have been cut off. In Bijapur district, around 100 villages have been cut-off due to the overflowing Mingachal and other rivers, a district official told news agency Press Trust of India.
(Inputs from ANI & PTI)
