Godavari in Spate, Two Causeways in Konaseema Inundated

Kakinada: River Godavari was in spate on Sunday as the flood levels were rising alarmingly. With the release of the first warning at Bhadrachalam in the evening, at 43 feet, officials in Godavari districts have been put on an alert.

The water levels reached 10.50 feet at gauge level and 13.87 feet at pond level while 8,81,853 cusecs of surplus water was discharged to downstream and 1800 cusecs released to canals by 9pm on Sunday.

At the Polavaram project, the water levels reached 31.800 at spillway and 8,16,838 cusecs of water was discharged. Many fields in erstwhile East and West Godavari districts have been submerged and taken the form of lakes.

Farmers said their paddy transplantations were submerged in knee-deep water.

The villages in Velerupadu and Kukkunuru mandals and Jangareddygudem division mandals were waterlogged. Two causeways in Konaseema district were inundated with floodwaters. The Chakalipalem - Kanakayalanka causeway was inundated, cutting off the transport facility between Konaseema and West Godavari districts.

With the inundation of the Muktheswaram causeway, no transportation facility exists for the islet villages. Already, the Buruguvani Lanka temporary approach road was inundated and the people of four islet villages are surviving on boats.

A sand-loaded boat, which was anchored at a ghat at Rajamahendravaram, was washed away in the whirl of floodwaters. It got stuck at the first gate in Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowleswaram in Rajamahendravaram Rural Mandal.

Officials are making arrangements to pull out the boat, but due to the whirl of waters, this was not possible, officials said.

Eluru collector Vetri Selvi has asked officials to arrange rehabilitation centres at the Dacharam hills in Velerupadu Mandal by evacuating the people from low-lying areas to safer places. She inspected the rehabilitation centres along with SP Pratap Siva Kumar on Sunday night.

She said culverts in Gommugudem and Lachigudem villages were submerged and the transport facility was hit. Some 250 families in Gommugudem village were shifted to the R&R colony in Dacharam and 47 families in Lachigudem evacuated to nearby hills.

The collector said essentials like rice, half kilo of red-gram, half-kilo oil, water packets and five kinds of vegetables have been supplied to the victims. Fifteen tarpaulins have been supplied to the victims who lost their huts at Allurinagar in Velerupadu mandal in the flooding at Pedavagu project.

Rural water supply superintendent engineer Satyanarayana said 2 lakh water packets have been distributed to 12 flood- affected villages in Velerupadu and Kukkunuru mandals in the last three days. Drinking water was being supplied through eight water tankers.

Water is being supplied to another 14 habitations and to the ST Girls Residential High School at Siva Kasipuram. Five bores did the pumping at Dascharam R&R colony and 13 temporary toilets were set up, she said.

Konaseema collector Mahesh Kumar said the first warning may be issued at Cotton Barrage in Dowleswaram and the second warning by Monday morning. Oafficials should be alert and arrange swimmers and life jackets in the flood-affected areas. One special officer was assigned to each flood-hit area in the district.

East Godavari collector Prashanthi visited Annadevarapeta village in Tallapudi mandal and the Godavari bund areas. She said officials should be cautious at the Kovvada canal as the canal received a ahuge flow of floodwaters.

The collector said 50 families were affected due to the floods in Johnpeta. She asked officials to shift children and pregnant women from affected areas to hospitals or to safe places. A rehabilitation centre is being set up at Johnpeta. She inspecte Chityala and Venkatayapalem villages in Gopalapuram mandals.

Prashanthi appointed two special officers -- special deputy collector Madhuri for Nallajerla and special deputy collector Ramana Naick for Nidadavole.

Naick said three boats were arranged for Nidadavole mandal. Food was arranged for 500 flood-victims at the Settipeta rehabilitation centre. The mandal special officer said a report has been submitted on the Nandamuru Acquidict.

Tourism minister Kandula Durgesh reviewed the flood situation in the district.

West Godavari collector Chadalavada Nagarani said officials were paying attention to Narsapuram, Mogalturu, Yalamanchili, Achanta, Penugonda and other islet villages in the coastal areas. Though the rains were receding, the Godavari River continued to receive heavy floodwaters.