Kakinada: The Godavari is receiving copious amounts of floodwaters from the Indravathi and nearly six lakh cusecs of water was released into the sea at the Sir Arthur Cotton Barriage till Thursday Night.
The water levels in the Godavari are increasing, causing concern over the safety of villages in Polavaram (West Godavari) and Devipatnam mandal (East Godavari). Road connectivity to 52 villages — 19 in Polavaram mandal and 33 in Devipatnam mandal — has been cut off. The Kothur causeway in Polavaram mandal was inundated and officials arranged a boat for the people.
Floodwaters reached the spill channel in Polavaram project. Project chief engineer B. Sudhakar Babu said six lakh cusecs of water was flowing at the Polavaram project and there will be no problem till it reaches the seven lakh mark. Even if the spillway works are affected, work on the cofferdam bridge will continue as iron gliders have been erected on it.
Meanwhile, due to huge water flows to the Krishna delta from the Budameru and other rivulets, the Krishna district irrigation officials suggested that the Pattiseema lift irrigation officials reduce the supply of water to the Krishna river. Pattiseema officials have stopped nine pumps and supply has been reduced to 3,400 cusecs from 7,000 cusecs. Sudhakar Babu said it would take five to seven days to restart the pumps.
At Devipatnam mandal of East Godavari, officials arranged two RTC buses and two boats to evacuate people. A majority voted to stay back,
“We are appealing to the government and the district officials to expedite the R&R and Rehabilitation Colony works as the region had experienced floods last year. Previously, when the water level touched 55 feet at Bhadrachalam, Devipatnam mandal villages were inundated,” said P. Krishna Rao, Polavaram Project Victims Parirakshana Porata Samiti Devipatnam mandal honorary president.
The water level at Bhadrachalam stands at 35 feet now. He said that the people are not willing to go to the shelters provided by the government at Rampachodavaram as it is not suitable for them. There are hillocks near the villages and the shelters should be opened there, where locals along with their livestock can wait out the rain.
Rampachodvaram sub-collector and ITDA project officer incharge Pravin Aditya said that all precautions have been taken up to face the flood situation and there was no transportation problem in Devipatnam mandal. He said that two country boats and two RTC buses were available at Devipatnam police station if people need to be evacuated.
He said that for the past one month, the officials were taking precautionary steps and 12 pregnant women and lactating women have been identified in the high-risk category and brought to Rampachodavaram from Devipatnam, Thoyyeru and Mnturu villages.
He said that six sectoral officers have been deployed for assessing the situation and all should submit their reports to the coordinating officer of the mandal and also the mandal tahasildar. He said that some of the people are going to rented houses. He said that already the government machinery made it clear to the Polavaram project affected families on rent amounts.
