With its tributaries overflowing due to heavy rain, water level in the river Godavari crossed the first flood warning level of 43 feet at Bhadrachalam on Thursday morning, prompting the officials to sound the first danger warning for floods. The water level reached 44 feet by Thursday afternoon, inundating crops in thousands of acres in Bhadrachalam and Palvoncha divisions in the district.
This is the second time that the river has crossed the first danger level this monsoon season.
According to Venkat Rao, an official of the Central Water Commission (CWC), the water level may rise further till Friday evening as the tributaries of Godavari-- Wardha, Penganga, Wainganga and Pranahita-- are continuing to receive huge inflows from their respective catchment areas.
Taliperu reservoir and Sabari river are also overflowing due to heavy rain in Chhattisgarh. About 15,000 cusecs of water was released into Godavari river by lifting nine crest gates at Taliperu on Thursday that caused the rise in water level at Bhadrachalam, said the CWC official. The water level at Kaleswaram, upstream the river, was 9.7 metre on Thursday and is increasing further while the same at Pathagudem was 9.8 metre. The water level was recorded 13 metre at Peruru, 12.1 metre at Dummugudem in the upstream. Similarly, in the downstream, the water level stood at 15.5 metre at Kunavaram, 12.2 metre at Polavaram, 15.6 metre at Rajahmundry and 2.9 metre at Dowleswaram. The officials said the second and third flood warning will be announced if the water level touches 48 feet and 53 feet respectively.
With the rising water level in the river, the district administration has issued alert notice to the officials. Bhadrachalam sub-collector Narayana Guptha said that they were keeping a close watch on the swelling river. As many as 18 launches have been been kept ready to shift flood-hit people to safer places. A control room with a helpline number 08743- 232444 have also been set up at sub-collector’s office to attend to emergencies.