Telangana: Water level in Godavari recedes, third warning withdrawn

Kothagudem: The water level in river Godavari at Bhadrachalam in the district has been receding and came down to 52.9 feet at 8.35 am on Tuesday with the decrease in flood inflow from upstream projects. As a result the third warning has been withdrawn and the second warning was in force as the river was […]

Kothagudem: The water level in river Godavari at Bhadrachalam in the district has been receding and came down to 52.9 feet at 8.35 am on Tuesday with the decrease in flood inflow from upstream projects.

As a result the third warning has been withdrawn and the second warning was in force as the river was flowing above the second warning level of 48 feet. At 6pm the water level was 51.80 feet with a discharge of 13,61,708 cusecs.

Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar, who stayed overnight at Bhadrachalam to monitor the flood situation following directions from Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, visited the river karakatta and the bridge across it during the morning hours to take stock of the situation.

Though the water level in the river has been receding the government machinery in the district was still on high alert as the water level was still above the second warning level. All facilities have been made for people who were shifted to rehabilitation centres, he said.

Ajay Kumar directed the District Collector Anudeep Durishetty to take proper care of the evacuated people at rehabilitation centres by providing them food, drinking water and medical facilities. Proper sanitation has to be maintained at the relief centres.

Similarly a close watch on irrigation tanks and overflowing streams has to be maintained, he suggested. Later the minister visited the rehabilitation centres and distributed fruits to them. Interacting with the evacuated people he assured them that the State government would look after them.

Health staff from sub-centre to the District Hospital have to be prepared to address the spread of seasonal diseases due to rains. The government has increased number of free medicines in government hospitals to 843 from 720 making 123 new types of medicines available in government hospitals.

Collector Durishetty told the officials and field level staff to be cautious as there was a possibility of 8.4 lakh cusecs outflow from upstream Sammakka Sagar project and heavy rainfall in north Telangana.

Meanwhile, Taliperu medium irrigation project in Cherla mandal has been receiving huge inflows as a result officials lifted 24 gates to discharge 1, 75 lakh cusecs of excess water downstream.

At Kinnerasani reservoir at Paloncha 20, 000 cusecs of excess water was being discharged. Coal production in opencast mines in all the SCCL areas was hampered in erstwhile Khammam district due to continuous rains.