Rajasthan Heavy Rains: 6 killed in 24 hours, Udaipur mine turns death trap for 4 kids; Amer fort’s wall collapses | Jaipur News
NEW DELHI: Six people, including four minors and two adults, died in separate rain-related tragedies as heavy rains battered Rajasthan over the past 24 hours, causing widespread flooding and severe disruption on Sunday. The India Meteorological Department reported that Dausa recorded the highest rainfall with 29 cm in the last 24 hours till 8:30 am Sunday. Several other districts, including Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, and Kota, are facing flood-like situations, prompting ongoing rescue and relief operations.
In a devastating incident in Jhalawar district, four people including two government school teachers were swept away by strong floodwaters while trying to cross a submerged low bridge on Changeri Pulia near Gagron Fort. Despite repeated warnings from local residents, the group attempted to drive through the overflowing waters around 2 pm on Sunday. After a three-hour-long search operation, authorities recovered the submerged car about 10-15 meters away in deep water by 5 pm. The bodies of two individuals were found on the back seat: Neeraj Singh Shekhawat (49), a senior secondary school teacher from Vijay Nagar in Ganganagar, and Hari Ballabh Khati (60), a resident of Kudayla village. Two others seated in the front, Venugopal, also a teacher from Sambhar in Jaipur, and Lekhraj Mali (35) of Kudayla village remain missing and are feared dead. Meanwhile, in Udaipur’s Dabok police station area, four minors tragically drowned after swimming in a water-filled mine at Kuwari Mines in Manderia village on the Udaipur-Chittorgarh road. The victims—Lakshmi Gameti (14), Bhavesh (14), Rahul (12), and Shankar (13)—had gone to graze goats before entering the mine to bathe, but drowned after slipping into deep water. The incident drew a large crowd of villagers to the site. Police, led by ASI Manohar Singh Devda, arrived promptly and, with assistance from locals, retrieved the children’s bodies. Family members and villagers have demanded accountability and action against the mine owner for negligence. The heavy rain has severely affected Jaipur as well, where waterlogging in multiple areas has caused knee-deep flooding on roads, leading to traffic disruptions, particularly in the Walled City. Due to the ongoing downpour and the forecast for continued heavy rain, Jaipur’s District Collector Jitendra Soni ordered the closure of all government and private schools, including anganwadi centers, on Monday and Tuesday. Power outages were reported in neighborhoods such as Barkat Nagar and Tonk Phatak, with faults in transformers and power lines causing multiple disruptions on Saturday night. Technical teams worked for nearly seven hours to restore electricity. The Jaipur Development Authority also decided to close two public parks—Kishan Bagh and Swarn Jayanti Park near Vidyadhar Nagar—from Monday to Wednesday, as waterlogging turned these areas into muddy, unsafe zones. Water also seeped into a section of Maharana Bhupal Singh Hospital in Udaipur late Saturday, highlighting the severity of the flooding. In Nagaur district, flood relief teams continue to assist residents as many low-lying areas remain submerged. Schools and anganwadi centers there have been shut down as a precaution. Sawai Madhopur faces one of the worst-hit situations, with villages downstream of the overflowing Surwal dam, including Surwal, Dhanoli, Gogor, Jadavata, Shesha, and Machhipura, completely submerged. Hundreds of homes are inundated, forcing residents to evacuate or stay on rooftops amid shortages of food and drinking water. The flooding has also submerged the Lalsot-Kota Mega Highway, severely disrupting traffic, with only tractors and trolleys able to navigate the road. In Tonk district, areas such as Kalipaltan, Chatra Khatik, Kafila Bazar, Panch Batti, Dhannatlai, and Kachahari Road have suffered extensive damage due to the rains.In another incident on Saturday, the wall of Rambagh, located in front of the Jwala Mata Temple and used to access the Amer Fort complex, collapsed due to heavy rains. Officials subsequently suspended the elephant ride due to security concerns.Amer Palace superintendent Dr Rakesh Chholak stated that heavy rains in Amer today caused the wall of Rambagh, located in front of the Jwala Mata Temple, to collapse. He said, keeping in mind the well-being of elephants and tourists, the elephant ride in Amer Palace has been closed till further notice. MP Harish Chandra Meena inspected the affected regions, urging officials to expedite drainage and relief work, while MLA Rajendra Gurjar reached flood-hit areas using tractors after his vehicle got stuck in the floodwaters. The Rajasthan weather department forecasts that heavy rainfall will continue for the next three to four days, prompting authorities to remain on high alert as they monitor water levels and intensify rescue operations across the state.(With agency inputs)
