Flood in the River Godavari at Bhadrachalam was receding and had come down to 52 feet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. The Central Water Commission (CWC) officials withdrew the third warning but the second warning was continuing.
But, flood levels in the downstream in West and East Godavari districts were rising and an alarming situation was prevailing in many habitations in the Agency mandals.
The level in the Godavari at Koida was recorded at 29.260 metres, coffer dam 30.720 metres, Polavaram 15.650 metres and Old Railway Bridge (Havelock Bridge in Rajamahendravaram) 18.710 metres. Discharge from the Sir Arthur Cotton (SAR) Barrage at Dowleswaram was 22.40 lakh cusecs.
Officials were put on high alert as the flood level was increasing in tribal hamlets and in island villages in East and West Godavari districts. Milk, food and drinking water were being served at the rehabilitation centres.
More than 100 villages were in knee-deep water for the last three days, and the Adivasis were taking shelter in hilly areas and rehabilitation centres. Power supply has been disrupted in many habitations in the flood-affected mandals.
Police, Revenue, Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Irrigation, Medical and Health and other departments officers were moving on boats and were supplying essentials and medicines to the affected people.
Police warn public
“The situation may continue for three more days in the two districts,” said a revenue employee.
Police arranged pickets at vulnerable places and were cautioning the public through the public address system.
The Pochamma Gandi temple located on the banks of the Godavari, the Sri Bhakta Anjaneya Swamy temple at Gutala in Polavaram mandal and the Mary Matha Shrine at Vegeswarapuram have been inundated.
Narsapuram Sub-Collector K.S. Viswanadhan, Polavaram Sub-Collector R.V. Suryanarayana, MRO Nazeemullah Shah, Velerupadu MRO Ramesh, Polavaram Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) M. Venkateswara Rao and other officials visited the flood-ravaged villages.
At Prakasam Barrage, the surplus was 94,625 cusecs and irrigation officials were releasing water.
Information Minister Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani) and Endowments Minister Velampalli Srinivas reviewed the situation on floods to Budameru canal and alerting the residents, with Collector A.Md. Imtiaz and other officials in Vijayawada.
