Godavari so dry, it's now a short-cut

ADILABAD: Rivers that have gone dry due to the severe drought have reduced distances between districts and states. Unlike in the past, people of villages are simply walking over the dry riverbed to the other side.

The two major rivers of Adilabad district, the Pranahitha and Godavari, have dried up, leaving shallow puddles and sluggish streams.

Instead of taking country boats to reach the other side, people are simply crossing the river on two wheelers and even on bullock carts.

Maoists are suspected to have walked across the Pranahitha and torched the machinery being used to build the Gudem Aheri bridge on Pranahitha in Bejjur mandal in Adilabad district two days ago.

Mr Pramod Kumar of Kagaznagar said people of both the sides of Pranahitha were walking across the river. Some people were parking their two-wheelers after traveling some distance and walking due to the sand.

People from bordering Maharashtra are also entering Adilabad by walking over Pranahitha. People of bordering villages in the Chennur Assembly constituency of Adilabad district are walking across the Godavari to Parimela and Parikena in Kaleshwaram of Karimnagar. It is the same with the people of Khanapur Assembly constituency who are walking over to Metpalli and Jagitial of Karimnagar. People are also crossing  Pranahitha at Arjunigutta to reach Aheri of Maharashtra on the other side.

People of bordering villages in Nirmal division are also entering into Nizamabad by crossing the Godavari on foot. The drought meanwhile has also affected family ties with many people avoiding visiting relatives due to the water shortage. People are not welcoming relatives to their homes.