2nd flood warning issued at Dowlesawaram

By Our Special Correspondent

After just four weeks of massive floods that left over a lakh people homeless, the Godavari River is once again raging with heavy inflow due to heavy rains in the upper catchments of the river.

On Thursday morning, the flood conservator issued a second flood alert as the flood water inflow and outflow crossed 13.3 lakh cusecs at Dauleshwaram barrage. By 8 pm, the flood water level at the barrage had crossed the 14 lakh cusecs mark.

Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Agency (APSDMA) Director Dr BR Ambedkar said that the situation is being continuously monitored from the central control room set up at the APDMA office in Vijayawada.

“Already six flood relief teams have been deployed. Ambedkar appointed NDRF teams in P Gannavaram of Konaseema district, two SDRF teams in Ainivalli and Mamidikaduru in the district, NDRF team in Koonavaram of Alluri Seetharamaraju district and SDRF team in VR Puram. Besides the district, another NDRF team has been deployed in Jangareddygudem of Eluru district.

The flood water level is likely to reach 17 feet by Friday night, officials monitoring the flood flow at Dauleshwaram Barrage said. At present the water level is 14.6 feet. A water level of 36 meters was recorded at the Polavaram project spillway.

On the other hand, high alert has been announced in the Godavari delta districts and measures have been started to evacuate the people of 135 river island villages including 118 in Konaseema, 11 in West Godavari and six in East Godavari districts.

On the other hand, the flood situation has worsened in the eight mandals of Chintur, Etapaka, Devipatnam, Koonavaram, VR Puram, Velerupadu, Kukkunur and Polavaram mandals upstream of the Polavaram project. Floodwaters inundated many villages and roads were cut off from the outside world.

All the villagers of Velerupadu Mandal Rudramakota have been moved to safe places. As the water entered the village, the medical equipment of the primary health center of Etapaka mandal Gauridevipet was moved to safer areas. At Vaddigudem village of VR Puram mandal, people were evacuated to safer places by boats. Meanwhile, East Godavari District Collector Dr. K. Madhavilatha said that a 24/7 control room has been set up in the Collectorate (8977935609).

Ambedkar Konaseema district's Ainavilli mandal, as the flood level increased, water entered the river island villages of Thanelanka, Thanelanka, Gurajapa Lanka, Koona Lanka, Kamini, Saladivaripalem, Lakshmidevilanka, Chintapalli Lanka, Chinthavanirevu. Many causeways in the district were submerged in flood water.

The water level of 2.64 meters was recorded at the GMC Balayogi project between Yanam and Yedurulanka, while Rajiv Beach, River Bay, Puskar Ghat, Tourism Boat House, Ferry Road and Gurukrishnapuram areas were submerged again. In Frans Tippa and KVR Nagar areas, people are fetching water from houses with motors.