Flood situation eased in Andhra Pradesh following some respite from the heavy rains on Saturday when water level in the Godavari and its tributaries, the Pranahita, Penn Ganga, Sabari and Taliperu, began falling.
Though the flood threat eased in north Telangana, East and West Godavari districts now face the surging Godavari waters with Dowleswaram receiving heavy inflows. The death toll in floods and rain-related incidents has gone up to 14 in the State. Even as Konaseema is in the grip of another flood threat, another low pressure system has formed over the Bay close to Odisha coast.
The break in the rain spell came as a relief to the flood-ravaged districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Warangal, and Khammam in North Telangana and East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna in Coastal Andhra.
After rising to a level of 57 ft at Bhadrachalam, the Godavari fell by two feet on Saturday morning and was on a falling trend. A massive quantity of 17 lakh cusecs of flood water reached Dowleswaram anicut, inundating dozens of villages in East and West Godavari districts. About 30 island habitations in estuary were cut off when all 175 shutters of the anicut were lifted by the authorities.
Life remained affected in many villages in North Telangana as they remained water-logged or marooned and complaints poured into the control room about non-availability of food and drinking water. Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy directed the collectors of these districts to undertake relief work in full measure.
Revenue Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy said two helicopters, stationed at Bhadrachalam and Mancherial, made sorties throughout the day airdropping food packets to the habitations. Three more choppers were positioned at…
