Bhandara: Heavy rains lashed the district on Tuesday night also rivers and streams were overflowing. Due to heavy rains in the catchment area of Gosekhurd project, all the 33 gates of the project were opened on Wednesday and villages along the river have been alerted. Similarly, a youth drowned in a nala at Vihirgaon in Tumsar.
The deceased has been identified as Raju Pandey (52). It is suspected that he fell from the canal bridge at night. Meanwhile, the highest rainfall of 148 mm in the district in the last 24 hours was recorded in Tumsar taluka, followed by Lakhandur 135 mm, Sakoli 115 mm, Pavani 106.2 mm, Mohadi 90.4 mm, Lakhni 59.4 mm and Bhandara taluka 16.4 mm. Also, heavy rain has been recorded in 25 areas of five talukas namely Mohadi, Tumsar, Pavani, Sakoli, Lakhandur. Many houses in Gondekhari and Gonditola villages of Tumsar taluka have been flooded. Paddy crop is threatened due to water logging in many farm dams.
Fifteen devotees are stranded at the Nrusinha temple in the Wainganga river basin at Madgi in Tumsar taluka and have been instructed to go to the upper garden of the temple. The state disaster response team has been called to evacuate them and all the devotees are safe.
There is a Nrisimha temple at Madgi on a 200 feet rock in the Vainganga river bed. Devotees visit this temple every day. On Tuesday, 15 devotees from Andhalgaon, Mohadi, and Tumsar went. It includes seven women and eight men. Devotees got stuck as the water level in the riverbed increased due to continuous rain. He gave this information to his family. Then the administration was informed. Efforts were started to evacuate the devotees safely. The administration instructed the devotees to go to the upper floor of the temple. State Disaster Response Force has been called from Nagpur. Tehsildar Balasaheb Tele of Tumsar, Sub Divisional Officer B. Tehsildars of Vaishnavi and Mohadi are trying hard to evict the devotees.