Still no respite from floods in East Godavari district, minor first casualty

By Express News Service

ELURU/KAKINADA: A three-year-old girl drowned in the floodwater on Tuesday evening at Goganna Matam of Mamidkiudur Mandal in East Godavari district. She was the first casualty reported during the ongoing floods in River Godavari. According to the police, the girl was identified as P Mounika from Lanakala Gannavaram of P Gannavaram Mandal. She had come to her grandmother’s house in Goganna Matam to participate in the Ganesh immersion celebrations. While playing outside the house, which was surrounded by floodwater, she slipped and fell in the water. Her body was later recovered.

Meanwhile, as there was no let-up in the flood situation in the Godavari, the second-level warning issued at Dowaleswaram Barrage in Rajamahendravaram continued on Tuesday. However, the officials said it might be withdrawn by Wednesday, as the inflows from the upstream areas were likely to decrease over the next 24 hours. 

At 7 pm on Tuesday, the flood discharge from Dowaleswaram Barrage stood at 14,09,539 cusecs. Meanwhile, all the flood warnings issued at Bhadrachalam, upstream of Polavaram, were withdrawn. 

According to Polavaram Project officials, flood-level at the project site stood at 27.89 metres, and a declining trend was observed. 

Though the situation in 44 villages of West Godavari, including 19 in Polavaram Mandal, that were inundated in floodwater remained unchanged, the locals expected the situation might improve by Wednesday. The officials were closely monitoring the situation and on standby to shift people from the flood-affected areas if there was no improvement in the flood situation. 

On the other hand, flood victims were dissatisfied with the district administration and the State government for not only alerting them in advance about the impending situation but also not sending medical teams and extending relief, even though their villages were marooned in floodwater. 

What they fear most now was the spread of water-borne communicable diseases even as they urged the officials to conduct medical camps soon after the floods receded. The situation is no different at 35 villages of  Devipatnam, 19 in Chinturu and Kunavaram mandals and 36 more in Konaseema. Deputy CM AK Krishna Srinivas and Ministers P Viswaroop, T Vanitha and K Kannababu visited the flood-affected areas in Seethanagaram Mandal on Tuesday. They promised all government help to the victims. Alla said `35 crore would be released for flood-preventive measures.

Hopes up

The second-level warning at Dowleswaram Barrage may be withdrawn by Wednesday, as the inflows from the upstream areas are likely to decrease
14,09,539 cusecs floodwater discharged from the barrage as on Tuesday 7 pm
27.89 metre – flood-level at Polavaram 
38.3 metre – flood-level at Kunavaram
167 – SDRF personnel deployed in Veeravaram, Chinturu and Rajamahendravaram 
30 – NDRF personnel deployed in Rampachodavaram mandal 
90 – fire service personnel deployed in flood-hit areas

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