Polavaram works suspended as flood waters inundate cofferdam, spillway

2,300 workers shifted to safer places; communication cut-off to many villages

An earthmover strengthening the bunds as the Godavari swells at Polavaram village in West Godavari district on Friday.

With the flood waters inundating the cofferdam, the spillway, and the Polavaram site, works on the irrigation project were suspended on Friday. This apart, all the 2,300 workers engaged at the site were shifted to safer places.

With heavy rain forecast in the catchment areas in the next 24 hours, the officials, apprehending a further surge in the flood level, shifted all the machinery from the project site. The flood waters touched the Necklace bund at the Polavaram boating point.

The flood level in the Godavari at various places was as follows: Bhadrachalam 37.90 feet, Koida 20.360 metres, cofferdam 26.750 metres, Polavaram 11.990 metres, and old railway bridge (Havelock bridge) 15.670 metres. The discharge at the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage (at Dowleswaram) was 7.77 lakh cusecs by 6 p.m. on Friday.

Meanwhile, West Godavari Joint Collector K. Venkataramana Reddy, K.R. Puram ITDA Project Officer R.V. Suryanarayana, Jangareddygudem Revenue Divisional Officer Y.N. Prasanna Lakshmi and Polavaram tahsildar Md. Nazeemulla Shah visited the Godavari bund.

“The flood level in the Godavari may increase further at Bhadrachalam and reach the first warning level (43 feet) by Saturday. Water level may increase at Polavaram as there is huge discharge from Taliperu and Donkarayi dams, and the Sabari is in spate,” Mr. Suryanarayana, who is also Polavaram Sub-Collector, said.

With about five-feet water flowing on the Kothuru causeway, communication to many villages, including Koruturu, Gaddapalli, Kondrukota, Vadapalli, Paidipalaka Mamidi, Sirivaka, Cheeduru, Tekuru, Tella Dibbala and other villages, snapped.

As the discharge was increasing by the hour, officials sounded an alert in the villages. “Officers have been asked to take measures to strengthen the Godavari bund. Control rooms have been set up at Kukunur Sub-Collector’s Office and at Jangareddugudem RDO office,” said Ms. Prasanna Lakshmi.

“Boats have been kept ready to shift the villagers, if necessary. Medicines to handle snakebite cases have also been kept ready at the Primary Health Centres,” Mr. Suryanarayana said.

The Godavari, which was in spate at Kovvur, inundated the Gospada Kshetram.

At Prakasam Barrage

In the Krishna, the discharge was 50,750 cusecs at Prakasam Barrage by 6 p.m. on Friday. The officials sounded an alert in the downstream mandals of Challapalli, Avanigadda and Nagayalanka in Krishna district.

Krishna river conservator Raja Swaroop Kumar said that about 60,000 cusecs was expected to reach Prakasam Barrage. He cautioned the villagers staying along the river bund.

Collector A.Md. Imtiaz directed the Revenue, Irrigation and Police officials to be alert and take measures to prevent untoward incidents in wake of the rising flood level.