RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Two men went missing in gushing canals in separate incidents in Dr BA Ambedkar Konaseema district on Monday. Search operations are on to find them. In the first incident, 70-year-old Ponnamada Pothuraju went missing in a sub-canal of the swollen River Godavari at Lakupeta village in Sakinetipalle Mandal. The septuagenarian was fishing when he slipped into the canal and was washed away, police said.
Eyewitnesses said he was trying to catch a giant freshwater prawn when the accident occurred. Attempts to bring him out of the gushing waters did not succeed. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, on being informed about the incident during his review of the flood situation, directed officials to provide immediate relief to his family. Also, Badugu Yesu of Baduguvani Lanka in Alamuru mandal went missing while trying to cross the Ravi Kindha Paya of the Godavari in the evening.
)Meanwhile, the third warning at Dowleswaram barrage on the River Godavari in Rajamahendravaram continued, as the flood discharge levels remained above 21 lakh cusecs. The floodwaters, however, started receding after the intensity of inflows was reduced.
The third warning may be withdrawn on Tuesday after the discharge levels recede below 19 lakh cusecs. At 6 pm, the gauge levels were at 19.10 feet and flood discharge 21.38 lakh cusecs. At Bhadrachalam, the flood levels receded to 56.1 feet. Upstream of Polavaram spillway, the flood discharge levels were at 17.95 lakh cusecs.
Flood conservator Kasi Visweswararao, however, said the situation was still alarming despite the receding floodwater. “We would continue to remain alert till the completion of the flood season. Even after withdrawing the third warning, we have to be alert for another 48 to 72 hours. All flood officers are requested to be alert round-the-clock,” he said.
With the flood fury subsiding gradually, officials raised concerns over the breaches along the river bank. Leakages were reported at as many as 32 places in East Godavari alone. Confirming, District collector Dr K Madhavilatha said river patrolling would continue 24x7 for another 48 hours. Stating that relief centres would continue for another two days, she said enumeration of loss of property would be completed within 10 days.
Meanwhile, the woes of people in hundreds of villages downstream of Dowleswaram barrage, especially in Konaseema region, continued. The floodwaters continued to inundate several villages. Those in Eluru district, meanwhile, started returning home from relief camps. Officials in Rajamahendravaram took up the cleaning ghats and pumped out water from low-lying areas. Municipal Commissioner K Dinesh Kumar said that cleaning of all bathing ghats would be taken up and water would be pumped out into the river from Aryapuram, Tummalava and other low-lying areas by installing a powerful motor at Nalla Channel. West Godavari district authorities have identified flood banks having leakages, and weakened banks at 38 places.