Telangana: Godavari water levels rising rapidly at Bhadrachalam, first warning issued

Officials are forecasting further rise as a result the water level in the Godavari river might reach the second warning level of 48 feet by midnight

Kothagudem: The water level in river Godavari is increasing rapidly at Bhadrachalam in the district and has crossed the first warning level of 43 feet at 3.19 pm on Thursday.

The water level at 4 pm was 43.30 feet with a discharge of 9, 46,412 cusecs and officials were forecasting further rise as a result the water level in the river might reach the second warning level of 48 feet by midnight. With the increasing water level in the river, flood water entered the temple town of Bhadrachalam through drain water sluices. Annadanam Satram, shops selling religious items and houses near the temple were inundated with the flood water.

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Officials were pumping out flood water using high capacity motors. Road connectivity to low lying villages in flood prone mandals Dummugudem, Bhadrachalam, Cherla, Burgampad, Aswapuram and Manugur was affected.

District Collector Dr. Priyanka Ala inspected low lying areas at Bhadrachalam and took stock of the flood situation. She directed the officials to shift the residents in flood prone villages to relief centres. She advised the villagers not to wait for the flood water to reach their villages but to move to relief centres beforehand following the directions of the officials. Dr. Ala told officials to identify dilapidated houses and move the residents to rehabilitation centres. The devotees have to be prevented from entering bathing ghats at Bhadrachalam and police patrol should be intensified. Control rooms have been set up in Bhadrachalam, Kothagudem RDO offices and at tahsildar offices of flood prone mandals.

Public can call the Kothagudem collectorate control room number- 08744-241950, WhatsApp number- 9392919743, Kothagudem RDO Office WhatsApp control room number- 9392919750, Bhadrachalam sub-Collector office control room number- 08743-232444, WhatsApp number 7981219425 for assistance, the Collector said.