High alert as Godavari rises steadily
Flood situation at Bhadrachalam on Sunday.
Khammam: With heavy rains in upper catchment area and release of water from upstream projects, the water level in river Godavari at Bhadrachalam in Kothagudem district has been rising steadily. It reached 43 feet on Sunday and the flood water reached bathing steps at Pushkar Ghats.
The Central Water Commission (CWC) has issued an advisory forecast stating that the water in the river might reach the first warning level of 43 feet on Sunday night in wake of inflows from Sripada Yellampalli Project and Laxmi Barrage. They informed water level would soon touch 43 feet first warning level, and may further rise to next two warning levels of 48 feet and 53 feet respectively.
According to officials, at 5 pm Godavari water level was 37 feet with a discharge of 6,22,233 cusecs. Amid heavy inflows, District Collector Anudeep Durishetty alerted the district and the mandal officials, cancelling all leaves for the government staff. During a video conference with Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar he informed that 21,000 sand bags were readied to strengthen the bunds of tanks in case of any breach. Of the 2,345 irrigation tanks in the district, 438 were overflowing, he informed.
Flood control rooms have been set up at the Collector's office (08744-241950; WhatsApp number 9392929743), at RDO office (WhatsApp number 9392919750) and at Bhadrachalam Sub-Collector office (08743-232444 and WhatsApp number 6302485393) to effectively coordinate the rescue and relief operations, Durishetty said. Pregnant women who are due for delivery were moved to primary health centres and measures taken to provide proper medical services to them. Rehabilitation centres with all facilities have been established to relocate people in Godavari submergence villages, the Collector added.
Meanwhile, during a review of the flood situation, Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar directed revenue, irrigation, PR, R&B, irrigation, police and electricity departments to stay alert and coordinate with one another in view of the increasing water level in Godavari
The minister advised the people in Godavari submergence villages to move to rehabilitation centres and follow precautionary measures. He told the officials to alert NDRF and rescue teams to jump into action in case of any emergency. Coal production in all the SCCL opencast mines in Kothagudem, Yellandu, Manugur and Sathupalli areas came to halt. Officials stopped mining in all the three shifts as a huge volume of rainwater entered into the quarries.
Officials lifted 16 gates of Taliperu project in Cherla mandal to discharge 20, 372 cusecs of excess water, four gates of Kinnerasani project at Paloncha lifted to discharge 21, 000 cusecs water and three gates of Peddavagu in Aswaraopet mandal lifted to release 4028 cusecs of excess water. With overflowing streams transportation to several villages was snapped.