Godavari water starts receding, but stays at dangerous level

Bhadrachalam: The water level of Godavari started receding Tuesday afternoon, after crossing the second warning level of 48 feet in Bhadrachalam and reaching a high of 52 feet, aided by an inflow of 13.7 lakh cusecs of rainwater.

The Godavari is receiving 8.4 lakh cusecs from Sammakka Barrage and 4.5 lakh cusecs from tributaries of Indravathi and Taliperu, where 24 gates had to be opened to release 1.81 lakh cusecs. Besides, 15,000 cusecs are released from the Kinnerasani project in Paloncha mandal.

Officials said that around 1,000 people residing in Kotha Colony of Bhadrachalam were shifted to relief centres, while they are continuously pumping out water from the Ram temple.

The government decided to operate 16 relief centres for two more days in Bhadrachalam.

Among the localities worst affected by waterlogging was SC Colony in Ulvanoor of Paloncha mandal, Tanikella in Konigerla mandal — where a tree fell, and traffic hold-up between Khammam and Wyra for two hours, as officials released floodwater to 52 tanks from the Bethupalli tank in Sathupalli and Vemsoor mandals.

Transport minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar directed officials to stay alert for another 24 hours, calling for food and medicines to be made available at relief centres. “Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao is monitoring the flood situation minute to minute”, he said.