Breach in Godavari bund upstream of Polavaram

Police officials strengthening Godavari bund as the water level was raising in the river on Tuesday. (Source: The Hindu)

A breach occurred in the Godavari bund upstream of the Polavaram dam near here, owing to increased inflows and stagnated backwaters, creating panic among the villagers.

Irrigation officials said the bund was damaged after spillover water got diverted owing to a breach after rise in the flood level. But, there was no threat to villages, they claimed.

Collector Kartikeya Misra told The Hindu that there was no flood threat to any affected villages in the Agency area, and that the officials were monitoring the situation.

On receiving information about the breach, police and irrigation officials rushed to the spot. With the water level rising in the river, officials were releasing water from the 42 gates.

The approach channel was completely inundated due to the breach, the officials said.

“With the backwaters stagnating for the last few days and flood water entering the river due to rains in the upstream and hilly areas, there are chances of more breaches to the Godavari bund and there is a threat to some river-bed villages,” said M. Swamy, a resident.

Road communication has been cut-off to many hamlets in Polavaram, Velerupadu, in West Godavari district and habitations were affected in Devipatnam and Yetapaka mandals in East Godavari district.

Tribal people were reaching their habitations by boats and by walk through forests. Officials laid temporary roads from Gaddapalli and Gajulagondi villages to reach the cut-off villages in Polavaram mandal.

Villagers said that there was seepage of water at many places from the bund as the flood level was increasing by the day. Flood level at Polavaram dam was about 26.8 feet on Tuesday, the police said.

ITDA Project Officer Y.V. Prasanna Lakshmi said the flood level was increasing slowly and the irrigation officials were discharging water downstream.

Meanwhile, officials of Revenue, K.R. Puram Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Medical and Health, A.P. Transco and other departments were moving in the habitations in the Agency area and were monitoring the situation constantly.