About 50 villages were marooned and seven out of 16 revenue mandals badly affected as a result of water rising in the Godavari since the last six days.
The situation further worsened on Thursday as the water levels at Dowleswaram Barrage began to rise from the early hours of Thursday.
The flood control bulletin issued at 6 p.m. on Thursday stated that the level was 17 feet at the barrage and it might rise steadily at night before receding on Friday morning.
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The discharge from all 176 gates of the barrage stood at 17.91 lakh cusecs, the second highest in the last ten days.
Speaking to The Hindu , District Collector Neetu Prasad said that she had asked the Joint Collector to camp in Amalapuram and take special care of 40 villages in seven most affected mandals in Konaseema. She said the authorities had released 18.5 lakh cusecs of water two days ago, after the inflow touched the third warning level of 17.75 feet at Dowleswaram.
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Flood water entered the burial ground near Kotilingala Kailasabhoomi and also part of the area near Goutami ghat. After 2006, this is the first time flood water has entered the burial grounds. Hundreds of locals and tourists gathered at Pushkhara ghat, P.V. Narasimha Rao ghat and Goutami ghat from Thursday morning to witness the heavy flood.
On the other hand, in three marooned villages, including Innavelli lanka, villagers faced problems in cremating their deceased kith and kin as there is no secure space left.
According to official reports, there are 40 villages in seven mandals of Konaseema, which were completely marooned, and boats are the only mode of transport to reach them. In P. Gannavaram mandal - Mondepu lanka, R. Yenugulapalli, Lankala Gannavaram, Koderu, Ayodhyalanka, Putchalanka, Chakalipalem, Burugullanka, Gantipedapudi and four other villages are cut off.
In Inavelli mandal, Addankivarilanka, Yelakallanka, Inavelli lanka, Sanapalli lanka, Chintallanka and Veeravalli palem were most affected. People of Lanka of Tane Lanka, Kamidilanka, Gurajapulanka, Saladivaripalem and Serilanka are not getting food and water since the last five days in Mummidivaram mandal. Only boats are plying in Bodasakurru-Pallipalem village, Gopayalanka in Allavaram mandal and Appanapalli lanka, Pedapatnam lanka, Pasarlapudi lanka and Pasarlapudi Badava. Two villages Vakalagaruvu and K. Munjavaram have been affected in Ambajipeta mandal, Appanaramuni lanka, Sakhinetipalli lanka were affected in Sakhinetipalli mandal and Sivakodu lanka in Razole mandal was badly affected.