Godavari water level rises, officials on alert

KAKINADA: Though the Godavari flood water levels receded slowly on Thursday, again, the river was in spate suddenly as the flood level touched 45 feet at Bhadrachalam. The people of 35 villages in Devipatnam mandal, 19 villages in Polavaram mandal and 21 villages in Chinturu division are tense.

At present only 10 per cent of villages have been affected in Devipatnam mandal and if the water levels touch 60 feet at Bhadrachalam, the people fear that their villages will be submerged completely and they will face hardships.

They faulted the construction of the cofferdam in the Polavaram project, for their miserable situation. If the flood levels increase further, the people will have to face power problems also.

In Polavaram, Kothuru causeway has been inundated and the communication and transportation facilities cut off from 19 villages. The same situation prevails in Chinturu division also.

Irrigation officials said that at Dowlaiswaram, the officials released 7.10 lakhs cusecs of water into the sea on Friday. It may rise to 8.50 lakhs cusecs on Saturday afternoon.

They said that if the second warning is given at Bhadrachalam, the first warning would be given at Dowlaiswaram by the evening of Saturday.

The district administration is on alert and instructed the officials to get ready to face any situation during the floods.