Heavy rains continued to lash various parts of Telangana on Sunday resulting in major rivers, rivulets and streams overflowing prompting officials to sound flood warning along the course of the Godavari at Ramannagudem (Warangal district) and Bhadrachalam (Khammam).
The water level in the Godavari touched 48 feet following which the second warning level was sounded at Bhadrachalam in Khammam district on Sunday night. The backwaters of the swollen river flooded several agricultural fields at Nellipaka and several other villages in the mandal. The authorities sounded a high alert in the areas all along the river course in the entire division after the water level in the river crossed the first warning level of 43 feet at the temple town on Sunday afternoon. A control room (08742 231600) has been set up at the Collectorate. Reports said the backwaters of the river entered into some low-lying areas at Kotha Colony in the temple town late in the evening.
A Warangal report said second warning signal was sounded at Pushkar Ghat at Ramannadugem village in Eturunagaram mandal following rising water level in the Godavari. Due to heavy rains in the catchment area for the past 24 hours, the Godavari was receiving huge inflows and water level reached second warning level of 9.9 metres by evening hours of Sunday at Ramannagudem.
Villagers residing in low-lying areas of the river course in Eturunagaram agency were alerted about the floods. RDO Moti Lal and ITDA project officer Sudhkar Rao are monitoring the situation. Warangal Collector G. Kishan said a control room was set up at the Collectorate (phone number 0870-2510777).
Coal production hitThe incessant rains led to decline in coal production in Singareni Collieries Company Limited after four open cast projects in Godavarikhani coal belt of Karimnagar district were inundated. Mining was hampered since Saturday evening. Motor pumps deployed to lift the water from the OCP-3 were submerged in the flood waters.
Rain is likely to affect coal production to the tune of 40,000 tonnes per day, SCCL officials said adding that production could take a hit for another two days.
In Adilabad at Kadem, villagers got panicky as the irrigation project reportedly received heavy inflows during the day.
The administration has asked the revenue and police officials to stay put on the dam itself in order to infuse confidence in the locals.
Several low-level causeways in Wajedu, Charla, Venkatapuram and Kunavaram mandals in Khammam district came under a sheet of floodwaters in the evening cutting off road link to several riverside villages in Bhadrachalam division.
