32 tribal habitations still remain inundated

Rajamahendravaram: The famous Gandi Posamma temple in Posamma Gandi village of Devipatnam mandal in East Godavari Agency area was submerged in the floodwater and the temple was closed and the main deity Goddesses Gandi Posamma idol was also inundated.

Meanwhile, the temple authorities asked the devotees not to come to the temple until normalcy was restored and the officials shifted the files to a safer place. Every day thousands of devotees across the State visit the temple.

Meanwhile, the floodwater level is decreasing in River Godavari but as many as 18 rivulets in Konaseema area are in spate and about 32 tribal habitations in Devipatnam mandal in the Agency area are still in floodwater.

Konaseema area is in the downstream and tribal habitations are in the upstream of River Godavari. As lakhs of cusecs of water was released into the sea from the Dowleswaram barrage and because of cofferdam, the floodwater surged into the tribal habitations.

In Konaseema, the people of Lanka areas were using boats to go outside to get essential commodities braving the floodwater, due to lack of bridges on the rivers. Meanwhile, paddy crop, horticulture crops such as coconut, banana, guava, betel leaves etc are still in floodwater at a three feet depth in Konaseema area.

According to Godavari Head Works Executive Engineer M Mohan Rao the flood water level at the barrage is 15.03 feet and at Bhadrachalam the water level is 40.47 feet which is stable and about 15.10 lakh cusecs of water was releasing into the sea from the barrage and second warning is continuing at 13.75 feet.

There is no scope to announce third warning as the flood is stable and the floodwater is being released into the sea by lifting all the barrage gates, he averred. Anyhow, the respective engineers were directed to check river bund.