Barely three weeks after witnessing heavy floods that displaced over 40,000 people, river Godavari was in spate once again with continuous heavy inflow from upstream areas.
During the early hours of Sunday, when the inflow and outflow of floodwater at Dowlaiswaram Barrage touched 10 lakh cusecs, the Water Resources Department issued the first flood warning. As per the forecast, officials estimate that the water flowing through the barrage could cross 13 lakh cusecs by Monday morning and second level flood warning could be issued, according to AP State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA).
As of 6 p.m., the inflow to Dowleswaram was 11. 03 lakh cusecs and the same amount of water was being discharged into the sea.
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Villages affected
The situation has brought back woes of thousands of people residing in the flood-prone villages. Many villages were flooded and inundated and people were forced to move to relief camps. Several acres of horticulture and agriculture crops were submerged, according to reports.
At least 283 villages in East Godavari and West Godavari districts are prone to severe flooding going by the present situation in the Godavari. Most of the affected villages are in Kunavaram, Nellipaka, Vararamchandra Puram, Devipatnam and other mandals in East Godavari and in Polavaram, Tallapudi, Kovvur and others of West Godavari.
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APSDMA officials said over 240 rescue personnel of State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force and AP Fire Services teams were deployed in Veeravaram, Chinturu, Rampachodavaram and other areas. Boats, life jackets and other rescue equipment were sent.
The inflow trend is rising at all the reservoirs upstream including Polavaram, Kunavaram and Bhadrachalam where the second level flood warning has been issued. The recent flood occurred in Godavari was between July 30 and August 17.
Inflow to Krishna
Meanwhile, flood in the Krishna has gradually increased by Sunday evening. Inflows to Srisailam at 2.26 lakh cusecs was steady as of 5 p.m. and as a result, the inflow and outflow at Nagarjuna Sagar Project (NSP) was rising at 76, 605 cusecs and 40, 603 cusecs respectively.
At Pulichintala Project, the outflow was 45, 518 cusecs. At the same time, Prakasam Barrage was receiving 37, 654 cusecs and discharging 26, 838 cusecs and flood was increasing.
In Vamsadhara and Nagavali in Srikakulam, inflows came down, but the first level flood warning issued in the early hours is continuing.
The inflow was 50, 981 cusecs and outflow was 55, 148 cusecs at Gotta Barrage as of 6 p.m. All the reservoirs have almost reached the Full Reservoir Level (FRL).