Telangana floods: Bhadrachalam braces for the worst

Authorities expect water level of Godavari to touch 43-feet mark in the temple town today, which is when they will issue the first flood warning
Water being released from two floodgates of Osmansagar
Water being released from two floodgates of Osmansagar

HYDERABAD/BHADRACHALAM: After wreaking havoc in North Telangana districts, the Godavari river is coursing down as a massive deluge, keeping the people in the Bhadradri- Kothagudem district on their toes. They are bracing for the inevitable when the roaring waters from barrages in North Telangana, 13 to 14 lakh cusecs, would reach Bhadrachalam by Saturday morning.

The authorities expect the level of Godavari to touch the 43 feet mark at the temple town of Bhadrachalam on Saturday morning, which is when they will issue the first flood warning. A control room has been set up and officials have been asked to evacuate people living in areas likely to be affected. Before the surging waters reach Bhadrachalam, floodwaters from Sammakka Barragae at Thuapakulgudem (about 13 lakh cusecs) and those from Taliperu and Kinnerasani are joining the main river, making it more forceful and ferocious.

Water gushes out from the five floodgates of Himayatsagar that were lifted, in Hyderabad on Friday; bathing ghats at Bhadrachalam submerged; tourists flock to a waterfall at Gambhiraopet mandal in Rajanna-Siricilla district
Water gushes out from the five floodgates of Himayatsagar that were lifted, in Hyderabad on Friday; bathing ghats at Bhadrachalam submerged; tourists flock to a waterfall at Gambhiraopet mandal in Rajanna-Siricilla district

As the volume of water expected to reach Bhadrachalam is likely to be quite huge and intimidating, Bhadradri Kothagudem Collector D Anudeep has asked the officials to stay put in offices throughout the night and supervise the evacuation of people to safer places. They have already set up 11 relief centres in Bhadrachalam. NDRF teams have been kept in standby mode. The Collector camped in Bhadrachalam and monitored the flow of floodwaters in the river. When reports last came in, the river was moving at an incredible speed at Bhadrachalam. The cofferdam that has been built as part of the construction of the Sitamma Sagar Project went underwater at Kummarigudem in Aswapuram Mandal.

Transport Minister P Ajay Kumar, who hails from the Khammam district, is monitoring the situation on instruction from the Chief Minister. Meanwhile, the north Telangana districts of Adilabad, Nizamabad and Karimnagar are yet to recover from the cataclysmic effect of the floods. Though there is a respite from rain for Nirmal, Mancherial and Kumrambheem-Asifabad districts are still suffering from floods. Sripada Yellampalli reservoir is still receiving inflows of the order of more than eight lakh cusecs.

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