Heavy rain lashes parts of Jharkhand, woman swept away in drain

A 50-year-old woman lost her life after being swept away by an overflowing drain in Dumka district as heavy rains continued to lash parts of Jharkhand, officials said on Thursday, 2 October.

The victim, identified as Savitri Devi, stepped out of her home in the Gilanpada locality on Wednesday night. While wading through knee-deep water, she slipped into a drain located about 50 meters from her residence and was carried away by the strong current, according to Jagarnath Dhan, officer-in-charge of Town Police Station.

Her body was later recovered and sent for post-mortem examination. Police officials noted that waterlogging likely impaired her judgment, preventing her from gauging the distance between her home and the drain.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert (be prepared) for Garhwa, Palamu, and Chatra districts, and a yellow alert (be aware) for Latehar, Hazaribag, Bokaro, Koderma, Giridih, and Dhanbad until 4 October.

Heavy rainfall on Wednesday affected several districts, including Koderma, Chatra, Hazaribag, Dumka, and Ranchi, and showers continued on Thursday, coinciding with Dusshera celebrations.

According to Abhishek Anand, in-charge of the Ranchi Meteorological Centre, the state is likely to experience light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy rainfall at isolated locations on October 2, and heavy to very heavy showers at isolated places on 3 October. Isolated thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds of up to 40 km/h are expected across Jharkhand until 6 October.

A yellow alert has also been issued for Lohardaga, Gumla, Simdega, Ranchi, Khunti, West Singhbhum, Bokaro, Seraikela-Kharsawan, East Singhbhum, Ramgarh, and Dhanbad until 3 October.

The IMD further warned that temperatures are expected to drop by 3–5°C over the next three days, adding to the monsoon’s impact on daily life.

Residents are advised to exercise caution while traveling, avoid waterlogged areas, and stay updated on weather advisories from local authorities.

With PTI inputs