Godavari waters enter Gandi Pochamma temple

KAKINADA: The famous Gandi Pochamma Temple in Devipatnam mandal has been closed due to flooding from the Godavari waters. Boat operations there have been suspended due to the rising waters.

On Sunday, the Godavari received 1.35 lakh cusecs of water including the Sileru reservoir. The water level registered at 13.70 metres at the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage and the storage level is at 2.9710tmc.

Irrigation officials released 3600 cusecs of water to the Eastern Delta, 2600 cusecs to the Central Delta and 4,000 cusecs to the Western Delta. Some 1,27,467 cusecs of surplus water were discharged.

At Bhadrachalam, the Godavari was in a stable condition and the officials said there was no immediate flood threat to the merged mandals under the Polavaram Irrigation Project.

Meanwhile, agriculture operations under Godavari Delta are being expedited with the arrival of waters. Transplant works also resumed in some areas.

According to agriculture officials, the transplants can be completed in another 10 days as nurseries in some areas have not grown sufficiently for transplantation.

As a precautionary measure, the residents of Kunavaram and VR Puram mandals have erected huts in hillock areas. If the Godavari receives floods, the water would go to the hillock areas. Some of the residents of these areas have been shifted to other areas like Khammam and Krishna districts.

They said the previous experiences during the floods became terrible and they will not be able to bear such experiences again. They requested the government to complete their R&R packages and provide shelters to them as early as possible and save their lives.