Ranchi – Continuous heavy rainfall has thrown life out of gear in several districts of Jharkhand, causing widespread damage and casualties.
Urban areas including Ranchi, Ramgarh, Latehar, Jamshedpur, Hazaribagh, Bokaro, and Giridih have been hit hard by waterlogging, with floodwaters inundating homes in low-lying localities.
The unrelenting downpour has led to multiple house collapses and cases of people drowning in rivers, reservoirs, and waterfalls.
In Rasoi Dhamna Baratola village of Hazaribagh district, under Barhi police station, the roof of an old house collapsed late Sunday night due to the rain. A couple—Habib Ansari and his wife Jumera Khatoon, both around 50 years old—died after being trapped under the debris. Villagers recovered their bodies on Monday morning.
In Palamu district, two children were swept away in rain-swollen rivers while bathing. Twelve-year-old Rakesh Kumar Amanat from Uksu village under Panki police station was found dead on Monday. Fourteen-year-old Sameer Ansari from nearby Basaria village drowned in the Amanat River; his body has not yet been recovered.
Two more children drowned on Saturday evening at Barka Bandh in Palamu town.
In Bokaro’s Chandrapura block, a newly constructed bridge over the Jamunia River partially collapsed, with its guard wall and a section of the structure washed away. The bridge had not yet been inaugurated.
Authorities have temporarily closed access to the popular Panchghagh Waterfall in Khunti district due to dangerously high water levels.
According to the Meteorological Department, Jharkhand has received 102% more rainfall than the seasonal average so far.
Ranchi has seen the highest excess rainfall at 265%, followed by Latehar (241%), Lohardaga (190%), Seraikela-Kharsawan (172%), and Palamu (156%).
Only Deoghar, Godda, and Pakur have recorded below-average rainfall, with deficits between 12% and 19%.
With inputs from IANS