Andhra Pradesh on alert as water rises in Godavari

Water level expected to hit first warning level by July 25; officials ready rescue and relief material

Officials supply relief materials to the flood-hit villages in Eluru in Andhra Pradesh on July 24, 2022. Photo: Special Arrangement

Polavaram

With water level in the Godavari on a steady rise, thanks to more spells of rain in the catchments in Andhra Pradesh, a flood alert has been issued to tribal habitations by the river banks.

Water levels in Godavari tributaries had also increased, and the discharge from the Polavaram project was about 6.70 lakh cusecs by Sunday evening, Water Resources Department officials said.

Central Water Commission officials monitoring the river said that the water level in the Godavari, which stood at 45 feet on Saturday, had decreased to 38 feet by Sunday morning.

However, it again increased to 39.9 feet at Bhadrachalam by evening. This level is expected to touch the first warning level by Monday, they added.

Officials of the Revenue, Irrigation, Medical and Health, Integral Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Fisheries, AP Transco and other departments were put on alert in the wake of the rising water levels in the State.

Boats and essential commodities such as drinking water, medicines, milk, generators, diesel and vegetables will be made available in flood-affected villages, said an official on duty.

Temporary relief

In Telangana, however, there has been some relief from heavy rain for the past two days.

Water flow to projects in the Krishna and Godavari basins is fluctuating, with not much rain recorded in the upstream areas of the two river basins in Maharashtra and Karnataka for the past two days. While the inflow to projects in the Krishna basin is on the decline, it is steady in the Godavari basin, with the forecast of some increase to the major projects.

The highest rainfall recorded in the State during the 24-hour period from 8.30 a.m. on Saturday to 8.30 a.m. on Sunday and from 8.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday has been 56.5 mm. However, the impact of heavy rain on Saturday is being felt on several projects in the Godavari basin.

According to the irrigation authorities, water flow to Singur was about 16,000 cusecs, Nizamsagar 56,500 cusecs, Sriramsagar 82,750 cusecs, Lower Manair 23,850 cusecs, Kaddam 11,500 cusecs and Mid-Manair 9,000 cusecs, with all projects discharging water by maintaining flood cushion.