KAKINADA/VIJAYAWADA: Increasing flood levels in the Godavari have cut off road connectivity between East Godavari and West Godavari districts near Razole mandal. The Chakalipalem causeway, which connects the districts, is under water.
With heavy rains lashing parts of Amalapuram and raising the water level in the river, roads in Ganti Pedapudi, Burgulanka, Arigelapeta and Udimudilanka were washed away. A river islet village near Mukteswaram and Kanakayalanak was inundated, and two boats were used to ferry commuters.
In view of the rising water levels in the Godavari, and with several villages in Agency areas in danger of inundation, officials are setting up relief camps and taking precautionary measures. Forty-four villages in Devipatnam mandal, upstream of Dowleswaram barrage, are in danger of inundation. Floodwater has already entered villages such as Kuyuru, Devipatnam, Kachuluru, Mantur and Agraharam.
Relief centres have been set up at a hostel in Rampachodavaram, but not many people are expected to be shifted there due to the Covid-19 threat. Disaster management teams are using small water crafts for relief operations. In Chinttoor mandal, 20 villages were inundated, and the district administration has evacuated residents. Collector D Muralidhar visited Posamma Gandi to take stock of the situation.
Meanwhile, heavy inflows in the Krishna and Godavari basins continued on Friday due to heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas. The Central Water Commission (CWC) said the flood discharge would continue to rise in the next two days.
Noting that heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the next two days, the CWC’s flood forecast said heavy inflows will continue to Polavaram in Godavari Basin, Srisailam in Krishna basin, and River Sabari.
“The Godavari is getting good inflows due to rain in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Telangana. The Polavaram project on River Godavari in AP is getting around 24,000 cumecs (8.47 lakh cusecs)... Heavy rain is expected in Telangana and AP for the next 2-3 days as well. A close watch is to be maintained... River Sabari is likely to rise rapidly in East Godavari district,” the CWC said.
The water level at Polavaram was at 23 m on Friday morning, and was expected to rise further. The levels at the spillway and cofferdam were also surging. Officials said all 175 gates of the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage in Dowleswaram were lifted as the barrage continued to receive a steady discharge with an inflow of 7.19 lakh cusecs and an outflow of 7.77 lakh cusecs at 6 pm.
The discharge to Srisailam will also continue as projects in the upper catchment area of the Krishna basin are discharging floodwater. Srisailam, as of 6 pm, was receiving an instant inflow of 1.4 lakh cusecs and the outflow was 54,000 cusecs. “Since Srisailam dam is 58 per cent filled, it is expected that the inflows for the next four-five days will increase its storage substantially. Due to rainfall in downstream areas of the river Krishna, the river Krishna at Prakasam Barrage is getting inflows above its threshold limit, and inflow forecasts have been issued for the same,” the CWC noted.