People from 11 MP villages asked to vacate homes as seepage from dam rises

Authorities in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh have directed people residing in 11 villages to immediately vacate their houses and move to safety after it was found that the seepage of water from an under-construction dam has increased.

An alert had been sounded in these villages on Thursday after water seepage was reported from the under-construction dam on the Karam river that afternoon, officials said.

"Efforts to control the seepage from the dam were unsuccessful. Since Friday morning, it has further increased and posed a threat to the security of the dam. Considering the gravity of the matter, we have directed people in 11 villages to leave their homes immediately and move to safer places," Dhar collector Pankaj Jain said on Friday.

"We are taking all possible measures and keeping an eye on the situation," he said.

Rains have been battering many parts of the state, including Dhar, over the last few days.

The reservoir of the dam was filling up with water for the first time this monsoon as it was under construction, the collector said.