Flood alert has been sounded in Garhwa district after Uttar Pradesh on Saturday opened all the sluice gates of Rehen Dam as the Sone river was flowing to capacity following incessant rains during the last three days in several states.

“We got information on Saturday that all the sluice gates of Rehen Dam have been opened from the side of Uttar Pradesh. We have alerted villages, particularly under Kandi block, following the release of water,” Deputy Commissioner of Garhwa Rajendra Prasad Sinha said at Garhwa.

Stating that water from the dam was released as water in Sone river was increasing, he also said four of the ten pillars of a road bridge over Tehela river being swept away last night, Sinha said he had directed the departments concerned to immediately take steps in building a diversion route.

The road bridge connects Jharkhand with Chhattisgarh and UP, he said and added heavy vehicles were barred to enter Garhwa on NH-75 route following heavy rains.

Meanwhile, four families took shelter on a hill-top after Kutku Mandal dam water entered their houses. The DC said they were staying in the command area of the dam, and efforts were on to move them to safer place.

Meanwhile, the weather office forecast more rains in the next 24 hours across Jharkhand, which has recorded 80 to 90 mm rain during the last three days following deep depression.

“A depression was concentrated at Jamshedpur which has weakened and moved away in the North-West direction. Heavy rains are expected across Jharkhand in the next 24 hours,” Director, Meteorological department Ranchi G K Mohanty told PTI on Saturday.