HYDERABAD: The Godavari districts are facing a flood-like situation with the river by the same name flowing dangerously at various places, cutting off several villages and agency areas and forcing authorities to issue a second warning to those living around Dowleshwaram Barrage in the wake of heavy inflows on Monday.
Normal life was thrown out of gear in East and West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur following heavy rains under the influence of low-pressure in the Bay of Bengal adding to the already vigorous southwest monsoon. In East Godavari, P Pullaiah, a 57-year-old cowherd, got washed away in the Godavari when he fell into the river while guiding his buffaloes along the bank in Kesanakurrupalem village of I Polavaram mandal. Nalla Buchi Maheswara Rao, a 20-year-old milk vendor is feared drowned in a canal at Gurjapulanka village in
Mummidivaram mandal of East Godavari district after the country boat he was travelling in capsized. Rao is survived by his pregnant wife.
The 19 others onboard -- mostly farmhands -- were saved by local fishermen. It is reported that the village has no boatman and the launch was operated illegally. Meanwhile, the 200 people who were marooned at Gubbala Mangamma Temple in Buttayagudem of West Godavari district on Sunday were rescued by NDRF, Fire Service and Police personnel.
The RTGS had requested the Navy to deploy a helicopter to the spot given the precarious situation of the victims, after which a chopper from the group that was on its way to Kerala for rescue operations was diverted back. The heavy rains that lashed Vijayawada on Sunday night resulted in landslides at two locations in the city on Monday morning. Three people were injured at Gollapalem Gattu in the city when they were hit by boulders that rolled down from the hillock. They have been hospitalised and their conditions are reportedly stable.
Several villages in both East Godavari and West Godavari remain cut off with rivers and streams flowing above the danger mark. Hundreds of people from the villages were shifted to relief camps in the last three days. Officials monitoring the situation said they would keep relief camps open until the situation improves. In East Godavari, around 35 villages in Chintur, Mamidikuduru and other mandals were cut off, while in West Godavari almost all villages in Polavaram, Velerupadu and Kukunor have been cut off from the rest of the world. Meanwhile, with the Tammileru in spate, the threat of a flood looms large over Eluru city. Several low-lying areas in Eluru have been inundated by rainwater. The 120-year-old bridge over Yerra Kalava in Jangareddygudem was washed away by flood waters. The two people who were on the bridge when it collapsed were rescued by locals with the help of police personnel.
With Tammileru flowing over the causeway at Sriparru, the road connectivity between Krishna and Godavari districts has been cut off. Several streams and canals in Krishna district are overflowing. Low-lying areas in Vijayawada too were inundated. With more than 1.4 lakh cusecs flowing into the Krishna at Prakasam Barrage, authorities opened all 72 gates of the barrage and released water downstream of the river and villages there were alerted.
Moderate to heavy rains in Guntur district saw several streams including Kondaveeti Vagu in spate. Road transportation in the capital region was affected. Rainwater entered houses in low lying areas of Rayapudi village. Several villages in Achampet, Sattenapalli and Piduguralla were affected. Thousands of acres of crops in East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts were submerged.
Srisailam Reservoir and Nagarjuna Sagar Reservoir continued to receive copious amount of inflows. The total inflows into Srisailam Reservoir stood at 2.39 lakh cusecs and outflow at 2.39 lakh cusecs.
Officials issue
The water level of the Godavari has increased once again making officials issue a second warning. The Sabari, a tributary of the Godavari is flowing at a danger pace, bringing heavy inflows into the Godavari. Excess water is being discharged from Dowleswaram Barrage which touched 49.4 feet. Inflows, however, are expected to increase further. The Godavari, its tributaries, distributaries and several canals and drains are in spate, following heavy rain in catchment areas in the district and upstream Telangana and Chattisgarh.