Army deploys 8 teams for flood relief in Rajasthan

New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) The Army has deployed eight teams in Rajasthan for flood-relief operations in districts that have been inundated due to heavy rainfall in the past few days.

"The relief operations are being undertaken in Kota, Jhalawar, Dholpur and Sawai Madhopur districts of Rajasthan," said an official.

This was even as the India Meteorological Department on Monday forecast more rain in Gujarat, Konkan & Goa and coastal Karnataka, besides Telangana, Rayalaseema, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Army officials said on Monday that lifeboats have been pressed into service to ferry stranded people to safer locations in Rajasthan. Apart from the Army, contingents of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have also been pressed into service in the flood-affected areas.

A flood-like situation has developed in parts of Rajasthan owing to heavy and incessant rainfall last week. Low-lying areas were inundated after Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh administrations opened flood gates of several barrages to release overflowing reservoirs.

Parts of west Madhya Pradesh had also experienced heavy rainfall over the last few days of the past week.

The Met has forecast heavy rainfall for several parts of India this week.

"Fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places very likely over Gujarat, Konkan & Goa and coastal Karnataka during next 4-5 days;

"Heavy rainfall over Telangana, Rayalaseema, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu during next 3-4 days," an IMD statement on Monday said.