Ministers have taste of monsoon fury in MP

Bhopal, Sep 11 (IANS) Some ministers in Madhya Pradesh were taken by surprise when water suddenly started dripping from the ceilings of their bungalows following incessant rain that has paralysed the state and claimed many lives.

The continuous three-day showers in the state have crippled normal life, as many rivers and streams including the Narmada river, Betwa, Sindh, Tapti are reported to be in spate. Besides, several low-lying areas are facing a flood-like situation as rain water has entered households and commercial establishments in the localities.

In addition, a large number of crops have been damaged in the heavy rainfall.

State Agriculture Minister Sachin Yadav has assured that the affected farmers will be given compensation for their losses.

State Tribal Development Minister Omkar Singh Markam on Wednesday said that water was seeping into his bungalow due to rain and despite several complaints to the authorities, neither has the repair work been done nor the damaged furniture replaced. The minister said that he will be talking directly to Chief Minister Kamal Nath in this regard.

Independent MLA Surendra Singh Shera also expressed disappointment after the heavy rain flooded his bungalow. He slammed several ministers of the state government for not responding to his calls on this issue.

Public Works Department and Environment minister Sajjan Singh Verma on Tuesday took stock of the situation in the Tonk Khurd block of Dewas district. During the inspection, he also assessed the loss of crops and issued instructions to the insurance companies to provide benefits to the farmers.

The state has seen 198 rain-related deaths since the advent of the monsoon in June this year, according to media reports.