VIJAYAWADA/RAJAHMUNDRY: Officials, who were put on high alert for the last two days due to heavy inflows to river Krishna at Srisailam reservoir, heaved a sigh of relief on Monday evening as the flood situation eased a bit. Though the situation was expected to worsen in the next 48 hours, due to slowdown in inflows to Almatti and Narayanapur reservoirs in the upstream, the inflows to Srisailam slowed down.
The reservoir, which received 3,63,120 cusecs by 6 am on Monday, saw a considerable fall in inflows to 3,62,480 cusecs by evening. Despite incessant rains in the upstream, there was no floods in Sunkesula and Hundri rivulets which also bring inflows to Srisailam, besides Jurala.
Srisailam reservoir is now full with water level standing at 871.60 feet against its capacity of 885 ft. Officials had sounded alerts in low-lying areas in the downstream of Srisailam reservoir, after Karnataka officials issued the first warning at Thungabhadra reservoir where the inflows were 1,82,622 cusecs in the last 24 hours.
The water levels in Penna and Vamsadhara basins too were kept under constant observation. The Godavari is not in spate as the water level at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowleswaram in Rajamahendravaram is under control, officials said. Though the island villages at Konaseema in East Godavari district heaved a sigh of relied after water levels started receding in Godavari, several villages in Devipatnma mandal of the district, and Polavaram and Velerupadu mandals in West Godavari are still surrounded by flood water.
The backwaters of Polavaram project have also inundated many villages in the upstream area. Transportation is still cut off to about 30 villages in Chinturu, VR Puram, Koonavaram and Yetapaka mandals. The inflows to Sabari, a tributary of Godavari, has also slowed down. People living in sand dunes in Godavari have taken shelter in rehabilitation camps in the city.
Irrigation authorities are discharging 7.93 lakh cusecs of water into the sea. As there have been no rains in the upstream areas of Godavari, officials are expecting a further dip in water level.
At Konaseema, some low-lying areas in Ienavilli Lanka, Veeravalli Palem, Sanapalli Lanka, K Peda Lanka, Potti Lanka and Chintana Lanka villages under Ianavilli mandal are still surrounded by flood water. Several villages are cut off from the mainland as the road at G Pedapudi has got submerged near the border between East and West Godavari districts.
West Godavari collector Karthikeya Misra visited flood-affected areas in Polavaram and Velerupadu mandals on Monday and interacted with people in Koida and Koruturu villages. He assured them all help from the district administration.
