Rajasthan floods: Jhalawar's Sunel logs 300 mm rain, schools shut
Synopsis
Rajasthan's monsoon crisis deepened on 11 August as Sunel in Jhalawar logged 300 mm of rain in a single day — the state's highest — cutting off 10 villages, trapping 40 schoolchildren, and forcing the release of 4.15 lakh cusecs from the Nonera-Ebra Dam. With three more days of heavy rain forecast, the situation remains precarious across the Kota and Udaipur divisions.
Key Takeaways
Sunel, Jhalawar recorded 300 mm (12 inches) of rainfall on Monday — the highest in Rajasthan that day.
An orange alert was issued for 6 districts and a yellow alert for 17 districts by the Meteorological Department .
The Kalisindh and Ahu Rivers are in spate, cutting off 10 villages and stranding pilgrims at Gagron .
The Nonera-Ebra Dam in Kota released 4.15 lakh cusecs after 19 of 27 gates were opened on Tuesday.
Vicky Dayma , 25 , died after a lightning strike in Nawa, Didwana-Kuchaman on Monday evening.
Heavy rain is forecast to continue across Kota and Udaipur divisions for the next three days .
Heavy monsoon rains battered Rajasthan on Tuesday, 11 August, severely disrupting normal life across the state, with the Meteorological Department issuing an orange alert for six districts and a yellow alert for 17 districts. Jhalawar district bore the brunt, with Sunel recording the state's highest single-day rainfall at 300 mm (12 inches) on Monday.
Flood-Like Conditions and Stranded Villages
The relentless downpour has triggered flood-like conditions across several parts of the state. The Kalisindh and Ahu Rivers are in spate, cutting off connectivity to 10 villages. Rising water levels have also left pilgrims visiting Gagron stranded, prompting the district administration to issue an alert for villages along the Ahu River and deploy monitoring teams.
Schools across Jhalawar district were shut on Tuesday as a precautionary measure. In Kachrakhedi village, rainwater flooded a government school, trapping approximately 40 children and teachers inside. Authorities launched a rescue operation and evacuated all of them safely.
Dam Gates Opened, Massive Water Release
Continuous rainfall forced authorities to open the floodgates at the Kalisindh and Chhapi dams. In Kota, the Nonera-Ebra Dam near Itawa released approximately 4.15 lakh cusecs of water after 19 of its 27 gates were opened on Tuesday. The water level at the dam is being maintained at around 214.50 metres, with the discharge flowing into the Kalisindh River. Notably, three of the dam's gates were opened for the first time this monsoon season on Monday — a sign of the exceptional volume of inflow.
Authorities have urged residents to stay away from riverbanks and adjacent areas in view of the elevated water flow.
Lightning Death and Highway Disruption
A 25-year-old man, identified as Vicky Dayma, a worker at a salt factory, died after being struck by lightning in Nawa, Didwana-Kuchaman, on Monday evening. He was riding a motorcycle with his colleague, Jitendra Narania, when lightning struck. Dayma was rushed to hospital but succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
Minister of State for Revenue Vijay Singh Chaudhary and SDM Hukmichand Rulania visited the Government Sub-District Hospital and assured Dayma's family of assistance under applicable disaster-relief norms.
Separately, the Bhopal-Indore highway remained closed for around five hours due to heavy rainfall, adding to the disruption.
Weather Outlook: Three More Days of Heavy Rain
According to weather experts, the monsoon trough currently extends from a low-pressure system over Bikaner, Datia, and northern Madhya Pradesh through Daltonganj towards the Bay of Bengal. Under the influence of this system, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places — particularly in the Kota and Udaipur divisions — on Tuesday. The spell is likely to persist over the next three days.
Light rain was also reported in Chirawa, Jhunjhunu, from around 5:30 am IST on Tuesday, with 12 mm of rainfall recorded over the preceding 15 hours. With rivers running high and dam discharges ongoing, authorities remain on high alert across the state.
Point of View
A dam releasing 4.15 lakh cusecs, schoolchildren trapped — points to infrastructure that is repeatedly overwhelmed rather than adapted to intensifying monsoon patterns. Jhalawar's 300 mm single-day figure is not an anomaly; it fits a multi-year trend of extreme precipitation events in Rajasthan's southeastern districts. The real question is whether district administrations have moved beyond reactive rescue to proactive pre-positioning of resources before alerts are issued. The lightning death of Vicky Dayma, a daily-wage worker returning home on a motorcycle, also underscores the disproportionate exposure of informal workers to climate-linked hazards — a dimension that disaster-relief frameworks rarely address adequately.
NationPress
11 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which area in Rajasthan received the highest rainfall on 11 August 2025?
Sunel in Jhalawar district recorded the highest rainfall in Rajasthan at 300 mm (12 inches) on Monday, 10 August. The heavy downpour triggered flood-like conditions and cut off connectivity to 10 villages.
Why were schools shut in Jhalawar on Tuesday?
Schools across Jhalawar district were closed on Tuesday, 11 August, as a precautionary measure in view of the heavy-rain warning issued by the Meteorological Department. Rainwater also flooded a government school in Kachrakhedi village, trapping around 40 children and teachers who were later evacuated safely.
What is the situation at the Nonera-Ebra Dam in Kota?
The Nonera-Ebra Dam near Itawa in Kota released approximately 4.15 lakh cusecs of water after 19 of its 27 gates were opened on Tuesday. The water level is being maintained at around 214.50 metres, with discharge flowing into the Kalisindh River. Three gates were opened for the first time this monsoon season on Monday.
Who died due to lightning in Rajasthan and what are the relief measures?
Vicky Dayma, a 25-year-old salt factory worker from Nawa, Didwana-Kuchaman, died after being struck by lightning on Monday evening while riding home on a motorcycle. Minister of State for Revenue Vijay Singh Chaudhary visited the hospital and assured the family of assistance under disaster-relief norms.
How long will heavy rain continue in Rajasthan?
According to weather experts, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places — particularly in the Kota and Udaipur divisions — and the spell is likely to continue for the next three days from Tuesday, 11 August. The monsoon trough extends from a low-pressure system over Bikaner through Daltonganj towards the Bay of Bengal.
