Hundreds of tribals thronged the Polavaram dam gates to witness the gushing floodwaters on Tuesday.
With the water level rising at the dam, project officials lifted 42 gates to discharge the excess water downstream.
Due to the closure of the cofferdam, water stagnated and was rising slowly. The flood level in the river was 26.8 m at the dam and the officials were releasing water through the project gates and the ten sluice gates to prevent inundation of habitations.
Water was overflowing from the Kottur causeway, disrupting the road link to 19 villages in Polavaram mandal. Police arranged a picket and the causeway was made off-limits for traffic.
“The project officials completed 42 gates out of 48. Water was being discharged from all the gates as water stagnated upstream the dam for the last few days and floodwater level is rising due to rains in the catchment areas,” villagers said.
A Task Force team has been constituted to monitor the condition of the river bund and take up strengthening works as the flood level was rising, the officials said.
Polavaram Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) K. Latha Kumari, CI A.S.N. Murthy and SI Srinivas visited the bund on Tuesday. Police along with irrigation and revenue officials enquired about the bund strengthening works at Vinayaka temple.
Irrigation officials said that water was being released to the canals for crops, and there was no flood threat to the downstream villages.
