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Telangana, AP on alert as swelling Godavari poses flood threat
In Andhra, the Godavari continued to flow at danger levels due to heavy inflows from upstream. The authorities at Dowleshwaram barrage near Rajahmundry lifted the gates and are releasing 10 million cusecs of water to the downstream and alerted the villages in the low-lying areas of Konaseema.
Hyderabad
Incessant rains in the catchment areas of the Godavari river for the last two days again posed an inundation threat to the low-lying areas in both the Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday.
Though the intensity of rainfall has come down to moderate levels, the Godavari continues to remain in spate. At the temple town of Bhadrachalam in Telangana’s Bhadradri Kothagudem district, the water level crossed the second warning level of 48 feet and reached 49.30 feet on Wednesday morning and went up to 50.60 feet by 5 pm, according to officials.
District collector Anudeep Durishetty said transportation to several villages like Ashwapuram, Charla and Dummugudem was affected due to flood water overflowing on the main roads.
The collector said officials were on alert in view of rising flood level in the river at Bhadrachalam and all required measures have been taken to address the situation.
The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) officials discontinued bus services from Bhadrachalam to Cherla in view of the flood situation.
State transport minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar directed the Kothagudem district authorities to carry out relief measures in flood-affected areas and ensure safety of people in those areas and supply of essential commodities to them.
Ajay Kumar stated that government machinery was ready to face any emergency situation while assuring that the flood-affected people need not worry as the state government would stand by them.
The officials of revenue, panchayat raj, irrigation, electricity, police and health departments have to work in coordination at the field level to take measures to avoid loss of life. People in low-lying areas have to be moved to rehabilitation centres, he noted.
Meanwhile, in Andhra Pradesh, the Godavari river continued to flow at danger levels due to heavy inflows from upstream. The authorities at Dowleshwaram barrage near Rajahmundry lifted the gates and are releasing 10 million cusecs of water to the downstream and alerted the villages in the low-lying areas of Konaseema.
“A first warning signal has been sounded at Dowleshwaram barrage and the water level is expected to go up further by Thursday,” an irrigation official said.
In Krishna basin, the water level at Srisailam dam has reached its brim – it was 884.5 feet as against the full reservoir level of 885 ft by Wednesday evening. While the inflow into the reservoir was 2,52,959 cusecs, the authorities are letting out 3,01,856 cusecs by opening five crust gates, besides through right and left hydel power stations to generate power.
As a result, the water level at Nagarjunasagar, another major reservoir located on the downstream of Krishna river, too, has been constantly rising and nearing the full reservoir level.
