RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM/ELURU: The Godavari river witnessed a sharp increase in water levels on Thursday, recording its first major inflows of the current monsoon season. Driven by continuous heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas over the past two days, tributaries swollen with floodwaters surged into the main river channel, prompting water resources authorities to initiate large-scale discharge operations across major irrigation structures.
At the Polavaram project site, upstream water levels rose rapidly as floodwaters poured into the reservoir. Water Resources Department Superintending Engineer Ramachandra Rao confirmed that all 48 gates of the spillway were operated to release 1,96,766 cusecs of floodwater downstream.
Key water levels recorded at the site reached 28.850 metres upstream of the spillway, 28.900 metres at the upper cofferdam, and 15.05 metres along the main Godavari riverbed.
Further downstream at Dowleswaram, the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage received an inflow of 79,000 cusecs during the day. Barrage Superintending Engineer G Srinivasa Rao stated that 67,000 cusecs was discharged directly into the Bay of Bengal, while 15,000 cusecs was diverted into the Central, Eastern, and Western Delta canals to meet pressing agricultural and drinking water needs.
PLIS activated with 20 pumps for 7,080 cusecs
Upstream at Bhadrachalam, water levels were recorded at 28.5 feet, with inflows at 4.06 lakh cusecs and outflows at 3.91 lakh cusecs.
The outflows from Bhadrachalam are expected to reach the Cotton Barrage within two days, and flood levels may increase further if heavy rains in the upper catchment areas persist.
To support farming in neighbouring river basins, authorities activated the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme using 20 pumps and motors to lift around 7,080 cusecs of water directly into the Polavaram Right Main Canal. This inter-basin transfer is expected to augment water supplies to Krishna Delta.
