6 killed, 2 missing as rain continues to batter parts of Rajasthan

SIx people, including 4 minors and a regime schooltime instructor, died in divide rain -related incidents as heavy to very heavy rain continued to batter parts of Rajasthan in the last 24 hours, leading to flood-like situations in many areas, officials said on Sunday.The weather department informed that in the last 24 hours till 8.30 am on Sunday Dausa logged the highest rainfall of 29 cm. Many other areas received rainfall below 29 cm during the same period.According to officials, several areas in Bundi, Sawaimadhopur and Kota districts are facing flood-like situations with rescue and relief works underway.In Jhalawar, four people including two government teachers were swept away in floodwaters while trying to cross a submerged low bridge in their car on Sunday.Despite warnings from locals, they attempted to drive through the overflowing water on Changeri Pullia, near Gagron fort, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Abhishek Charan said.Upon receiving information from residents around 2 pm, a search operation was launched. The car was located 10-15 metres away in deep water around 5 pm.The official said that the bodies of -- Neeraj Singh Shekhawat (49), from Vijay Nagar in Ganganagar and teacher at a senior secondary school in Kudayla, and Hari Ballabh Khati (60) of Kudayla village -- were found on the back seat of the car.Two others, Venugopal, a teacher at the same school and resident of Sambhar in Jaipur, and Lekhraj Mali (35) of Kudayla village, who were on the front seats, are feared missing, he said.In view of the alert for very heavy rainfall, collectors in Jaipur, Nagaur, and Ajmer declared holiday for schools on Monday and Tuesday.Several areas in Jaipur faced waterlogging, as the city continued to reel under rain for the second consecutive day.Roads were inundated in many parts of the city with water levels reaching knee height. This disrupted traffic, causing inconvenience to commuters, especially in the Walled City areas.District Collector Jitendra Soni ordered all government and private schools to remain shut on Monday and Tuesday, given the forecast for heavy rain.Several areas also reported power outages due to faults in transformers and power lines. Barkat Nagar, Tonk Phatak and other areas faced electricity disruption multiple times on Saturday night, with the technical team taking nearly seven hours to resolve the issue.The Jaipur Development Authority decided to close two parks -- Kishan Bagh and Swarn Jayanti Park -- near Vidyadhar Nagar, for public from Monday to Wednesday, as waterlogging turned the parks into muddy zones.Four minors drowned in the rainwater-filled Kunwari mines of Dabok area in Udaipur on Sunday. The incident occurred when -- Laxmi Gameti (14), Bhavesh (14), Rahul (12) and Shankar (13) -- ”had gone to graze goats in the nearby fields, police said.Later, the four entered the mine to bathe and slipped into deep water, police said.After the incident, a large crowd of villagers gathered at the site. Upon receiving information police teams went to the spot and pulled out the bodies with the help of locals.Villagers and family members have demanded action against the mine owner, Assistant Sub-Inspector Manohar Singh Devda said.Water also entered a section of the Maharana Bhupal Singh Hospital in the city late Saturday.The weather department has predicted that the heavy rain may continue in some areas of the state for the next three to four days.Flood relief and rescue teams remained on the ground and assisted affected residents in Nagaur as several areas have been waterlogged.The district administration has issued advisories urging caution. Schools and anganwadi centers in Nagaur have been also been shut down on Monday and Tuesday as a precautionary measure.In Sawai Madhopur, several villages have been hit, particularly those downstream of the Surwal dam, which has overflowed. Villages including Surwal, Dhanoli, Gogor, Jadavata, Shesha and Machhipura are completely submerged, with hundreds of homes inundated.Residents are forced to evacuate, with many staying on rooftops, facing shortages of food and drinking water.The overflowing water has also submerged the Lalsot-Kota Mega Highway, affecting vehicular traffic and only tractors and trolleys able to traverse the route.Kalipaltan, Chatra Khatik, Kafila Bazar, Panch Batti, Dhannatlai and Kachahari Road in Tonk district have been severely affected due to the rain.MP Harish Chandra Meena inspected the situation and directed officials to ensure proper drainage and relief. MLA Rajendra Gurjar also conducted visits and reached flooded areas via tractor.SDM Shatrughan Gurjar's vehicle got stuck in a flooded road and he had to shift to a tractor.