Godavari districts reel under flood fury

By Express News Service

RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM/ELURU: The flood fury of Godavari river continues unabated in East and West Godavari districts. There was no let-up in the flood level till Saturday afternoon. The highest discharge of 15.6 lakh cusecs for the current flood season was recorded on Saturday. 

One more person is feared drowned in the Godavari taking the total number of victims to three. On Saturday, a 53-year-old woman identified as Bhadramma reportedly slipped into the stream of Godavari near Addateegala in East Godavari district and drowned. A search operation has been launched for her. K Shameer Basha (25) and SK Rehman (18), who were washed away in Godavari floodwater, are yet to be traced.

Irrigation officials at Dowleswaram Barrage say the floodwater has started receding and they may withdraw the second flood warning after midnight. “The flood level at the barrage has started receding slowly. After touching the highest mark of 15.61 lakh cusecs by Saturday afternoon, the flood level has started declining. At 4 pm, the level stood at 15.15 lakh cusecs and by 6 pm, it declined to 14.97 lakh cusecs,” Irrigation Executive Engineer Mohan Rao told TNIE.

The water level in the Godavari at Bhadrachalam has receded and the first flood warning has been withdrawn. With inflows from Indravati, Sabari and Sileru subsiding, the second flood warning may be withdrawn after midnight or in the early hours of Sunday. However, the first flood warning is likely to continue for another two or three days.

“We are expecting to receive steady inflows into the Godavari at Dowleswaram anywhere between 5-6 lakh cusecs for the next 15-20 days. The steady inflows are expected from Indravati, Pranahita, Kinnerasani and Taliperu,” Mohan Rao said. The Godavari water that was released into the sea in 12 days was several times more than what was discharged from June 1 to July 27. In the first 57 days of the flood season, around 100 TMC of water was released into the sea and since July 28, an estimated 1,100 TMC of water has been discharged into the sea.

Though the flood level is receding at the Polavaram project site, 32 villages in Devipatnam mandal of East Godavari district, 30 villages in Velerupadu and 19 villages in Polavaram continue to remain cut off from the rest of the world.  People of Patha Polavaram and nearby villages are worried due to erosion of the flood banks because of the strong current in the river. As many as 118 villages in East Godavari district, including several lanka villages, continue to remain cut off from the rest of the world.  

As the floodwater is flowing over causeways in Appanapadu, G Pedapudi and Mukteswaram, people are forced to use boats as a means of transportation.  On Saturday, a total of 16,844 people took shelter in relief camps. A large number of NDRF, SDRF and fire service personnel have been deployed in flood affected areas of twin Godavari districts for rescue and relief operations.

Nagarjuna Sagar water release today

Hyderabad: The AP and Telangana State governments have decided to release water for agriculture from the left and right canals of Nagarjuna Sagar Project (NSP) from Sunday. Telangana Education Minister G Jagadish Reddy and AP Water Resources Minister P Anil Kumar Yadav will lift the left and right canal gates. As against its storage capacity of 312.05 TMC, the water level in Nagarjuna Sagar stood at 159.12 TMC now.

Right canal breaches in Guntur village
Guntur: The right canal developed a 6 ft breach near Lingapuram village in Macherla mandal on Saturday. According to local people, heavy discharge of water from Krishna through Bugga Vagu caused the breach at 11 km point of the canal. On hearing the news, Nagarjuna Sagar Project officials reached the spot and initiated measures to plug the canal breach.

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