Akola/Amravati/Nagpur: Vaibhav Manoj Gawarguru (17) from Ubarakhed village was swept away in the swollen Lendi Nala of Akola district on Monday around 9pm while cloudburst-like rains severely battered several areas of Akola and Buldhana. Morshi in Amravati also received heavy rains.Gawarguru was returning home with his father, Manoj Gawarguru, from their farm on a two-wheeler when their bike was swept away while crossing the submerged bridge on the Panchgavhan-Nimbhora road in Ubarakhed. His father survived.A very heavy rainfall warning was issued for East Vidarbha districts, including Nagpur, Gondia, Bhandara, Gadchiroli, and Chandrapur, for Wednesday. A record 171.8mm rainfall lashed Lonar (Buldhana) from Monday night to Tuesday morning. Most other tehsils in the district received over 50mm rainfall. In Akola, Balapur taluka (Paras) recorded 177.3mm, and Patur Taluka (Channi & Sasti) recorded 75.5mm.Akola district received a spell of heavy rainfall within 24 hours, flooding farms and houses and damaging crops. Local reports suggest hundreds of hectares of standing crops were destroyed. Residents in Paras village reported flooding inside homes, with documents, rations, and household goods damaged. Due to heavy water discharge from the Man Project, water overflowed the Man River bridge near Lohara village on the Akot-Deori-Shegaon route.In Buldhana, several minor irrigation dams in Lonar tehsil — including Titvi, Deulgaon Kundpal, Borakhedi, and Gundha projects — reached 100% capacity. As a precautionary measure, controlled discharge (spillage) of water started through spillways. The sub-divisional water resources department (Mehkar division) issued a red alert to nearby villages, urging residents to avoid entering river streams and to shift livestock, farming equipment, and household belongings to safer places.In Amravati, heavy rains lashed the orange-belt of Morshi town and surrounding villages on Tuesday afternoon, bringing much-needed relief to farmers. The Damayanti and Malu rivers are both flowing above normal levels due to the heavy rainfall.
