Flood alert sounded as Godavari crosses second warning level at Bhadrachalam
The Godavari River crossed the second flood warning level of 48 feet at Bhadrachalam in Bhadradri Kothagudem district at 3.48 p.m. on Friday following heavy
The Godavari River crossed the second flood warning level of 48 feet at Bhadrachalam in Bhadradri Kothagudem district at 3.48 p.m. on Friday following heavy inflows from the upper reaches, prompting a flood alert in the Bhadrachalam Agency and other parts of the district. Swollen streams disrupted road connectivity between Charla and Venkatapuram and several other parts of the Agency. Backwaters from the river surrounded the Annadhana Satram (Choultry) in Bhadrachalam, while officials deployed heavy-duty pumps to drain stagnant water from areas surrounding the Vista Complex near the Sri Sitaramachandra Swamy temple. The river level stood at around 49.5 feet at 6 p.m., with nearly 12.24 lakh cusecs of floodwater flowing downstream.
The water level is expected to rise by a few feet before receding as rainfall has eased in the upper reaches over the past 24 hours, sources said. Flood duty officers have been deployed in the Bhadrachalam division to undertake relief and rescue operations. Temporary relief centres have been set up in Bhadrachalam and other flood-prone areas in the district with officials making efforts to shift people from low-lying areas to safer locations. The official machinery has been put on alert to tackle any eventuality in case the river crosses the third warning level of 53 feet. A 24x7 flood control room has been opened at the Integrated District Offices Complex in Kothagudem.
The control room can be reached at 08744 241950, while people can contact the authorities on Whatsapp at 9392919743 for flood-related information. Rainfall eased in several areas on Friday after heavy showers lashed the Godavari catchment areas on Wednesday and Thursday. Heavy rains over the past few days brought fresh inflows into reservoirs across the river basin, which had been facing depleted storage levels. The Sripada Yellampalli Project in Peddapalli district is nearly full, with the water level reaching 147.45 metres against its full reservior level (FRL) of 148 metres. About 42,833 cusecs of floodwater was being released downstream through five of the project’s 62 gates, while inflows stood at 50,555 cusecs at 6 p.m. on Friday.
Inflow into the Kadem project in Nirmal district decreased from 24,938 cusecs at 7 a.m. to 11,628 cusecs at 6 p.m. on Friday following a pause in rainfall in the catchment areas. The water level in the Kadem dam stood at a little over 698 feet against its full storage level of 700 feet at 6 p.m.
The BriefWire