Burning pyre swept away in floodwaters, body found in bushes:Barwani homes inundated, crops destroyed following heavy rain

Monsoon has fully covered Madhya Pradesh. Continuous heavy rainfall has caused rivers and streams to overflow, and distressing visuals are emerging from several districts. In Dhar district, a burning funeral pyre was swept away in a swollen stream. Fortunately, the partially burnt body got stuck in bushes, after which villagers retrieved it and performed the last rites again at another location. In Barwani’s Sendhwa, water has entered homes, shops and agricultural fields. In Sehore district’s Ashta, rivers are in spate and several villages have been cut off. A Dainik Bhaskar team conducted ground reporting from Dhar, Sendhwa, Ashta and Pithampur to assess the situation. Dhar: Body retrieved after risking life A video from Jamla village in Bagh block of Dhar district, surfaced on Friday evening, showed a burning funeral pyre being carried away in a strong stream. The current was so intense that the pyre was swept away, and the partially burnt body got stuck in bushes. Villagers risked their lives to pull out the body and completed the last rites at another location. The deceased was 60-year-old Bapu Singh from Khadapura locality of Jamla village, who had died on Thursday after illness. His son-in-law, Devisingh, said heavy rain was falling during the cremation. Soon after the last rites began, a mountain stream suddenly swelled. People ran to save their lives and the fire on the pyre was extinguished. The partially burnt body also began to float away with the wood. Later, villagers recovered it from the bushes where it was stuck. Second cremation performed at midnight As the wood became completely wet, a second cremation was conducted at midnight at another location using dry wood, car and bike tyres, diesel and sugar. Gram panchayat Jamla’s Sarpanch representative Kailash Bhanwar said a bridge near the cremation ground was proposed around 10 years ago, but could not be built due to land disputes. District Panchayat CEO Abhishek Chaudhary has ordered an inquiry into the matter. Sendhwa: Water enters homes and shops, crops destroyed In Sendhwa, 8.11 inches of rain fell within 24 hours on Friday. In low-lying areas, water entered homes and shops. Several agricultural fields were submerged and crops were washed away. Streams overflowed in several areas including Ram Kotara. Loading autos, bikes and handcarts were swept away, while roads were submerged under nearly three feet of water. After the rain subsided, people were seen cleaning mud and debris. The administration also inspected the affected areas. Shopkeeper Satish Goyal said conditions like this had not been seen in nearly 40 years, causing losses of around ₹1.5 lakh in his shop. Grocery trader Kush Shah said poor drainage and elevated road levels led to flooding, with goods worth ₹4–5 lakh damaged. Nala water enters fields, soybean crop washed away In Malhar Bagh area, a wall of Amjad Gehlod’s house collapsed. Machinery and aluminium fabrication scrap were also washed away. No one was present inside the house at the time. In rural areas, damage was also reported. Farmer Ramsingh Jadhav of Babdad village said nala water entered his two-acre field, washing away maize and soybean crops. Farmer Ankush Rajput demanded a government survey and compensation. SDM Ashish Singh, Tehsildar Rahul Solanki and Municipal CMO Madhu Chaudhary inspected the affected areas. The administration has begun clearing debris and assessing losses. Ashta: Water enters villages, routes blocked In Ashta block of Sehore district, continuous rainfall has raised the water levels of Parvati, Papnas and Nevaj rivers. Water has entered homes in several villages. Between June 1 and the morning of July 4, Ashta recorded 393 mm (about 16 inches) of rainfall. Villages including Khachrod, Mehtawada, Maina, Kothari, Bhanwra, Bagair, Singarchori, Harajkhedi, Dhakni and Mugli have been affected. The Dhakni–Mugli route’s culvert has been submerged for about 12 hours. Due to water on bridges over Dhmani and Papnas rivers, road connectivity on Kannod–Mirzi, Jasmat and Ashta–Mugli routes has been halted. The administration has advised people not to attempt crossing bridges and to use alternative routes. In Gram Panchayat Badghati Ramapura, soybean crops have been submerged. In Mugli village, knee-deep water has entered homes, damaging grain, clothes and household items. Pithampur: Underpass becomes a major problem In Pithampur of Dhar district, the underpass near Tihi railway station built under the Indore–Dahod rail project has become a major problem for locals during rains. The main road connecting Tihi village to Rau and Pithampur is submerged under three to four feet of water. Lack of drainage causes the same situation every monsoon. Due to the blocked route, people are forced to take a detour of nearly 10 km. Many risk crossing through water, leading to frequent accidents for two-wheeler riders. Locals say this has been a persistent issue for the past three to four years. Two children have also lost their lives on this route. Former district Congress general secretary Deepak Seth said the issue has existed since the railway station was built and repeated complaints have yielded no solution.