Even as the government is grappling with floods in Godavari river basin, with due focus on the Polavaram project and Sir Arthur Cotton (SAC) barrage at Dowleswaram, India Meteorological Department forecast light to moderate rain on today at isolated places in all 26 districts including Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR), Eluru, Konaseema, Kakinada and East and West Godavari districts which were severely affected by the swollen Godavari and its tributaries.
Moderate rainfall is expected in the following sub-basins of Godavari: Indravati, Wainganga, Pranahita, Wardha, Manjira and Godavari lower, Godavari upper and Godavari middle, according to a status report released to the media Friday morning.
The Central Water Commission (CWC) warned of continuous rains in Godavari upstream and sounded an alert about the release of water from Sripada Yellampalli and Lakshmi barrages.
The inflow and outflow at SAC barrage at 9 a.m. stood at 12,37,173 cusecs. The inflows and outflows at Sitarama lift irrigation project and Sammakka and Lakshmi barrages were 10,08,618, 8,20,130 and 7,15,140 cusecs respectively.
The discharge at Polavaram was 9,57,568 cusecs at the current level of 23.897 metres and it is falling. The discharges at Dummugudem and Bhadrachalam are falling from the existing 10,08,618 and 10,32,816 cusecs. The discharge at Konta was about 49,000 cusecs due to the effect of backwaters.
Heavy rains and floods affected a population of 3,60,456 in the aforementioned six districts with the people in Eluru, ASR and Konaseema bearing the brunt of the calamity. The National and State Disaster Response Forces, police and Naval personnel took part in the rescue and relief operations.
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