RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: The Godavari River continues to swell, with flood levels rising steadily. At the Dowleswaram Barrage, water levels are projected to reach 15.75 feet by Thursday, potentially exceeding the third warning level of 15 feet if the current inflows persist or increase. A second flood warning was issued at the barrage at midnight on Tuesday.
In Bhadrachalam, the flood level peaked at 52 feet on Wednesday morning but has been gradually decreasing since the afternoon. River Conservator R. Kasi Visveswara Rao reported that 15 lakh cusecs of water were released into the sea from the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage on Wednesday.
Several villages in the Yetapaka, Chinturu, VR Puram, and Kunavaram mandals of the Alluri Sitarama Raju district have been inundated by the overflowing Godavari and Sabari rivers. Chinturu revenue authorities have relocated approximately 4,000 people to 149 flood relief centers, with 64 boats deployed for evacuations in the Chinturu division. Traffic on the national highway connecting Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh has been paralyzed for the past two days due to floodwaters submerging sections between Kuggyuguru and Nimmalagudem, and between Chatti and Singannagudem.
The bridge over the Sabari River between Kunavaram and VR Puram is also submerged, causing a suspension of traffic. Villages such as Vaddigudem, Sriramagiri, and Chintarevupalli in VR Puram mandal, and Udayabhaskar Colony, Chepalabajaru, and Ginnela Bazar in Kunavaram mandal are underwater. As a precaution, 131 pregnant women have been moved to primary health centers.
The river conservator has issued a high alert for all low-lying areas and Lanka villages as water levels at the Dowleswaram Barrage continue to rise. While the situation remains manageable, the next two days are deemed critical.
Residents of three Lanka villages in Godavari districts have been relocated to rehabilitation centers. In Eluru, a rehabilitation center has been set up in Dacharam, Kukkunur mandal, and Collector K. Vetri Selvi visited Thotakuragommu to urge residents to move to relief camps.