The widespread rainfall-induced combined heavy inflows from the Taliperu, Indravati and Pranahita tributaries in the upstream areas of the Godavari led to further rise in the water-level in Godavari river at Bhadrachalam on Friday.
The Godavari’s water level at the temple town hovered little above 37 feet at 6 p.m. on Friday.
The water level in the Godavari may increase up to 40 feet, three feet below the first flood warning level, by Saturday morning with intense spell of rains lashing many parts of the catchment areas of the Godavari’s tributaries, official sources said.
As the Taliperu reservoir in Charla mandal continued to receive heavy inflows to the tune of 1.05 lakh cusecs, the authorities of the dam lifted as many as 22 crest gates on Friday to ensure discharge of an equal quantum of excess water into the Godavari.
All the forest streams, including Gubbalamangivagu in Charla mandal bordering Chhattisgarh, were in spate thus contributing to the rise in water level in the tributaries of the Godavari in Bhadrachalam Agency.
The swollen streams snapped road link to around 20 interior villages in Gundala mandal and cut off several hard to reach remote tribal habitations in Charla mandal with the rest of the district.
The migrant Adivasis of Timmirigudem, a far flung habitation in the dense forests in Charla mandal, had a harrowing experience due to inundation of the narrow pathway leading to their temporary habitation by a swollen stream.
A fever patient of Timmirigudem was carried to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Satyanarayanapuram in a doli (makeshift stretcher) by a group of local tribal youth by crossing the swollen stream in knee deep waters and braving heavy downpour on Thursday.
The patient was subsequently shifted to the PHC in Charla in an ambulance.
Meanwhile, Collector M V Reddy took stock of the flood preparedness and mitigation measures at a meeting with the officials concerned in Kothagudem on Friday.
He asked the officials to deploy boats and swimmers in flood prone areas as a precautionary measure as per the flood manual for emergency response services.
