Godavari flood likely to recede

Rajamahendravaram: The Godavari flood which has been raging for the past two days is slowly receding. Flood in Bhadrachalam remained steady for some hours on Tuesday and then subsided slightly. Officials are on high alert as floodwaters have receded and are still flowing beyond the second warning.

Panic in flood-affected areas has not yet subsided and it is estimated that it will take another 24 hours for danger level to be completely reduced and normal conditions to be restored.

The Godavari is still flowing furiously beyond the second warning level at Dowleswaram SAC barrage in Rajahmundry. As floodwater is coming down from Bhadrachalam, there is a possibility of a flood surge here till Wednesday morning. After that, flood will gradually decrease.

The flow of Godavari River at Bhadrachalam at 7 am on Tuesday was 51.6 feet and at 11 am it reached 51.4 feet. It decreased to 50.8 feet at 3 pm and 50.3 feet at 6 pm.

It remained steady at 14.60 feet at 7 pm and 3,300 cusecs were released to delta canals while 14, 10, 928 cusecs were released downstream. At 7 pm, flood level was recorded at 50.5 feet at Bhadrachalam.

It is likely to decrease gradually as the flow from the upper reaches of Bhadrachalam also decreases.

Godavari flood furiously flowing beyond the second warning level at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage in Dowleswaram. River Conservator, Head Works Division EE R Kasi Visweswara Rao issued the second warning as the flood reached 13.75 feet at SACB at 2 am on Tuesday. Flood duty officers have undertaken special duties as per the second warning protocol.

At 10 am on Tuesday, flood increased to 14.30 feet and 2,700 cusecs water was released to irrigation canals and 13, 49, 287 cusecs of surplus water was discharged.

Due to the rise of Godavari, the Sabari flood is also continuing in Alluri district. The district authorities are warning that vigilance is mandatory here for the next two days. Collector AS Dinesh Kumar appealed to people of flooded mandals to move to safe places and relief camps.

Some low-lying areas in VR Puram, Devipatnam, Chinturu, Yetapaka, and Kunavaram mandals of Alluri district were still under floodwater. Some villages were not even accessible. However, the traffic started on the inter-district roads and some internal roads after the floodwater receded. NDRF teams moved the victims in boats in some villages under a water blockade in Kunavaram mandal.

East Godavari Collector P Prasanthi and MLA Adireddy Srinivas inspected the rehabilitation centre for flood victims set up in Rajahmundry. Joint Collector Bharat Tej inspected the work of strengthening the village by placing sandbags to prevent flooding in the village of Madduru Lanka.

District collector Mahesh Kumar said that 75 villages in 12 mandals in the Konaseema district may be inundated due to Godavari floods. On Tuesday he visited the flood-affected areas.