KAKINADA: Water levels in the Godavari at Polavaram touched 30.1 metres while three lakh cusecs of water was being released from the spillway on Sunday night.
The works at the lower cofferdam is likely to be affected with the rise in the flood levels. In July itself, the Godavari is witnessing heavy floods. Polavaram project superintendent engineer Narasimha Murthy said the sudden flooding in the Godavari is expected to cross the 10 lakh cusecs mark, more than the previous year’s figure.
He said that there may be chances of stopping the polavaram project works in the lower cofferdam. At present, the water level was recorded at 19.5 metre at lower cofferdam which has completed 21 metres of height.
At Dowleswaram, the officials discharged 2.40 lakh cusecs of water into the Bay of Bengal from Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage by lifting 185 gates for four metres high. The incoming water is being discharged as it is.
The officials felt the first warning can be issued by Monday after the level crosses the 10 lakh cusecs mark.
The threat of flooding of the Godavari river rose sharply due to heavy rainfall in the upper reaches of the waterbody over the past two days, with officials expectint the first warning at Dowleswaram barrage to be sounded
on Monday.
While the water level of the Godavari receded on Sunday morning, it rose sharply to more than 38 feet on Sunday night at Bhadrachalam.
The causeway at Kotipalli-Mukteswaram was flooded and boating has been stopped.
The Tammileru reservoir, which has a capacity of 355 feet with an inflow of 100cusecs, was at 332 feet.
The backwaters of the cofferdam in the Polavaram project entered the villages of
Devipatnam. The waters encircled the famous Gandipochamma temple in Gonduru village and it was about to be inundated. The temple authorities stopped darshan for devotees.
With the danger of a flooding at Kanakayalanka causeway, West Godavari district collector Prashanthi reviewed the situation and advised
officials to shift pregnant women and older people from the islet villages to safe places.
Officials said that a second warning would imply inundation of the region and boats would be arranged to ferry people out of the affected villages.
Prashanthi directed revenue district officers to be prepared to face a challenging situation. She also suspended leaves, saying all officials, including village and ward secretariat personnel, must be available for emergency operations.
Flood control rooms have been opened at the collector’s office, Bhimavaram
and Narsapur RDO offices.
Meanwhile, Eluru district collector Prasanna Venkatesh said 38.2mm of
rainfall was recorded over the past 24 hours. This indicated that the people along the coast should be cautious and protect their cattle. He advised officials to shift people out of low-lying areas.
Gundeti rivulet was overflowing and the waters were flowing across the bridge in Kukunuru mandal of Eluru district. The transport facility was cut off for 10 villages due to the flooding in those areas.
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