Godavari water level rises at Bhadrachalam, may reach 1st warning level tonight
Khammam: With torrential rains in upper catchment area and releasing of water from upstream projects water level in river Godavari at Bhadrachalam in Kothagudem district has been rising steadily.
Central Water Commission lower Godavari division has released an advisory forecast stating that the water in the river might reach the first warning level of 43 feet on Sunday night due to releasing of water from Sripada Yellampalli Project and Laxmi barrage.
According to officials at 4 pm Godavari water level reached 36.10 feet with a discharge of 6,22,233 cusecs. With this District Collector Anudeep Durishetty alerted the district and mandal officials cancelling all kinds of leaves for the government staff.
During a video conference with Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar he informed that 21,000 sand bags were readied to strengthen bunds of tanks in case of any breach. Of the 2345 irrigation tanks in the district 438 were overflowing.
Flood control rooms at the Collector’s office with number 08744-241950, WhatsApp number 9392929743, at RDO office with WhatsApp number 9392919750 and at Bhadrachalam sub-Collector office with number 08743-232444 and WhatsApp number 6302485393 have been set up, he informed.
Pregnant women who were due to give birth were moved to Primary Health Centres and measures have been taken to provide proper medical services. Rehabilitation centres with all facilities have been established to relocate people in Godavari submergence villages, the Collector noted.
Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar directed the Revenue, irrigation, PR, R&B, irrigation engineers, police and electricity department officials to be alert and coordinate with each other in view of increasing water level in Godavari
The minister advised the people in Godavari submergence villages to move to rehabilitation centres and follow precautionary measures. He told the officials to alert NDRF and rescue teams to jump into action in case of any emergency.
Coal production in all the SCCL opencast mines in Kothagudem, Yellandu, Manugur and Sathupalli areas came to halt. Officials stopped mining in all the three shifts as huge volume of rainwater entered into the quarries.
Officials lifted 16 gates of Taliperu project in Cherla mandal to discharge 20, 372 cusecs of excess water, four gates of Kinnerasani project at Paloncha lifted to discharge 21, 000 cusecs water and three gates of Peddavagu in Aswaraopet mandal lifted to release 4028 cusecs of excess water. With overflowing streams transportation to several villages was snapped.
