Godavari floods temple town of Bhadrachalam
Bhadrachalam: The water level in the Godavari river, which is inching towards second warning level at Bhadrachalam during morning hours, has shown decreasing trend by Friday evening.
According to the Central Water Commission (CWC) sources, the water level recorded at 6 pm was 47.5 feet. The water level was slowly receding, at 12 noon it was recorded at 47.9 ft, at 4 pm 47.7 feet and at 5pm it was recorded to be 47.6 feet.
Nonetheless, the river was still flowing above first warning level of 43 feet due to which the bathing ghats were fully submerged. Due to the leakage in the sluice of the Karakatta river (bund) at Bhadrachalam town water entered the town.
Annadanasatram and steps of Sri Seeta Ramachandra Swamy temple's western entrance were inundated. It happened because of disruption in power supply. The officials could not pump the flood waters into the river as they do it normally at Vista Complex.
According to the officials, it was for the first time in two decades that the river flow remained above first warning level for nearly eleven days this monsoon season, albeit with a break in between that period, at Bhadrachalam.
It might be noted that on August 22, 2018 the water level crossed 50 feet, on July 19, 2013 it crossed third warning level and flown at 57 feet level and the Godavari river reached its all-time high level of 75.6 feet on Aug 15, 1986 causing widespread damage.
The gates of Kinnerasani project were shut and seven gates of Taliperu project lifted to discharge 34,000 cusecs of water.
Rainfall intensity has also come down during the past 24 hours and the mandals in the district received light to moderate rainfall, with an average of 14.2 mm rain.