Godavari remains above danger level at Bhadrachalam, flood level receding slowly

Kothagudem: The water level in river Godavari at Bhadrachalam in the district has been receding slowly though the water level was still above the danger level and the flood level came down below the 70 feet mark on Saturday evening. At 4am in the day the water level was 71.30 feet, reached 70.30 feet at […]

Kothagudem: The water level in river Godavari at Bhadrachalam in the district has been receding slowly though the water level was still above the danger level and the flood level came down below the 70 feet mark on Saturday evening.

At 4am in the day the water level was 71.30 feet, reached 70.30 feet at 12 noon and at 6 pm the water level was 68.60 feet as the gates of upstream projects were being closed with decrease in the flood flow into those projects.

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Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar along with the priests of Bhadradri Temple performed ‘Ganga Harati’ and special prayers seeking divine intervention to make the flood situation turn to normalcy.

The minister inspected Godavari karakatta, relief centres at Yatapaka and Kunavaram. He told the people evacuated from the flood affected areas to stay put at the rehabilitation centres for another two days as the river was still flowing above danger level.

Speaking at a review meeting later in the day the minister informed that because of measures taken by the district administration not a single life was lost due to floods. Around 10, 000 houses in as many as 72 gram panchayats inundated due to floods in different mandals in the district, about 20,000 people have been moved to rehabilitation centres, he said.

The biggest task ahead was carrying out sanitation, providing medical services, power restoration and supply of safe drinking water and prevent spread of viral diseases in the villages after the floods subsided in Bhadrachalam, Aswapuram, Pinapaka, Dummugudem, Cherla and Manugur mandals in the district, Ajay Kumar noted.

As the Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao was likely to hold a review meeting on floods at Bhadrachalam on Sunday, the officials of all the departments should prepare reports on the post-flood relief measures to be taken in the flood affected mandals

Ajay Kumar suggested the officials prepare assessment reports on the works to be undertaken for the strengthening of Godavari embankment and for permanent solution to the sewage problem in Bhadrachalam town after taking into account the problems to be caused by Polavaram project.

Villages should be cleaned on a war footing by engaging additional staff and the entire process should be completed within a week. The officials were directed to prepare the estimated costs of the damage caused by the floods and the subsequent works to be undertaken.

Proposals should be submitted setting up the Parnasala substation at a higher ground as it was getting flooded when Godavari water level rises. ZP Chairman K Kanakaiah, SCCL CMD N Sridhar, Panchayat Raj Commissioner Hanumantha Rao, District Collector Anudeep D, SP Dr. Vineeth G, SCCL Director (Finance) N Balaram and others were present.