The incessant downpour in the district coupled with torrential rain elsewhere in the region since Wednesday night has led to sharp rise in water level in Taliperu and other rivers besides forest streams at various places across the district.
The heavy rain triggered flash floods in streams paralysing road connectivity to around 30 villages mainly in the Bhadrachalam division on Thursday.
Coal production came to a grinding halt in the SCCL’s opencast projects (OCPs) in Yellendu and Manuguru regions of Kothagudem area following heavy rain in the entire coal belt region. Sources said that the OCP in Yellendu mandal reportedly suffered a huge production loss of 10,000 tonnes.
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Yellendu mandal recorded 30.6 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours ending at 8 a.m. on Thursday. The maximum rainfall of 69.8 mm was recorded in VR Puram mandal followed by 35.2 mm in Velerupadu mandal in the district.
Water level in the Taliperu reservoir in Charla mandal in the Bhadrachalam division has risen sharply, prompting the project authorities to discharge the surplus waters into the downstream.
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Sources said that as many as 18 crest gates of the Taliperu project were lifted and huge volume of 40,000 cusecs of floodwater was let out into the Godavari.
With heavy rain forecast in the next 24 hours, the officials have kept a close watch on the water level in the Taliperu reservoir.
Although, the water level in the Godavari remained below 20 feet at Bhadrachalam on Thursday evening, it is likely to increase by three to four feet in the next 24 hours in view of the incessant rain in the upper stream.
Meanwhile, road link to nearly 25 villages in Wajedu mandal has been snapped due to inundation of the low-level causeway at Cheekupalli village. Vehicular movement between Cheekupalli and Perur was completely paralysed subjecting the commuters to severe hardship. The commuters, mainly college students and patients bound to various destinations, have faced ordeal due to inundation of the causeway, the vital road link between the mandal headquarters and the rest of the district.
Heavy rain led to water logging and clogging of drains at several localities especially in the old town in Khammam.