KAKINADA/VIJAYAWADA: With the Godavari flood level crossing the danger mark on Monday following unprecedented inflows from upstream, the irrigation officials issued the third warning for the first time in recent years at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage in Dowleswaram.
The third warning is issued when the flood discharge in the river crosses 17.75 lakh cusecs. At 8 pm, both inflows and outflows at the barrage stood at 20,01,525 cusecs and the flood discharge is expected to increase further. It is on August 4, 2013, when the flood discharge at Dowleswaram barrage reached 21,18,825 cusecs last time.
The highest ever flood discharge of 35,06,388 cusecs was reported on August 16, 1986. People of Rajamahendravaram and several other towns and villages along the course of the river on both banks (East Godavari and West Godavari) are in the grip of fear.
The East and West Godavari district administrations are shifting the people from floodaffected areas to safer places. Several villages in Devipatnam and other mandals in the Agency area of East Godavari and Polavaram in West Godavari have been cut off from the rest of the world with the inundation of roads in floodwater.
Taking stock of the Godavari flood situation through a video conference, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the Collectors of East and West Godavari districts to take up rescue and relief operations on a war-footing to mitigate damage to property and ensure there is no loss of life.
The flood victims in relief camps should get all the needed help and there should be no difficulty in procuring essential commodities. As Covid-19 is also prevalent, the officials should be more vigilant, he stressed. In East Godavari, 13 mandals were affected by floods and 161 villages submerged.
The floods hit seven mandals in West Godavari and 30 villages were marooned. According to the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA), one NDRF team and two SDRF teams are stationed in East Godavari district, while two SDRF teams have been deployed in West Godavari for rescue and relief operations.
Move to safer areas: Karnataka Minister
Karnataka Water Resources Ramesh Jarkiholi appealed to the people living on the banks of Krishna, Malaprabha, Markendeya and Ghataprabha rivers to move to safer areas as the outflow from all dams and rivers is expected to rise due to continuous rain. “Belagavi district officials have been kept on high alert,’’ he said
Villagers shifted using boats in EG
In Agency villages of East Godavari, 3,500 people were shifted to relief centres using boats. About 2,500 people from flood affected villages in Amalapuram division were also shifted to relief centres. Rescuing and shifting of livestock from the submerged villages have become a tough task for the officials
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