Andhra: Godavari turns ferocious, record flood expected in next 3 days

Andhra Pradesh is on the brink of a worst flood after a gap of 36 years as river Godavari has been turning ferocious by the hour, threatening to inundate tens of villages mostly in West Godavari and Konaseema districts.

Godavari has been flowing close to the third danger level of 17 lakh cusecs at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowaleswaram near Rajamahendravaram, as a flood of 16.61 lakh cusecs was recorded on Thursday evening, with indication that it may rise further later tonight.

As over 18 lakh cusecs of floodwater has been discharged at upstream Bhadrachalam in neighbouring Telangana, all that will reach Cotton Barrage in the next few hours.

Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy will conduct an aerial survey on Friday afternoon to assess the devastation caused by the Godavari flood. Given the rains in the upper catchment areas in Maharashtra and Telangana and the consequent rise in flood level, officials here anticipate a discharge of over 24 lakh cusecs over the next two days. This will be the highest flood in Godavari after the one in 1986.

As per the information available right now, the flood flow may touch 20 lakh cusecs by Friday evening and go further up the next day. We have been asked to prepare for a flood of up to 28 lakh cusecs, a district Collector told PTI over phone.

Accordingly, revenue and irrigation department officials conducted a recce to identify weak spots along the Godavari river bund and traced at least six such vulnerable areas. We have accordingly started taking protective measures. We have also identified at least 36 villages that need to be fully evacuated if the flood surge continues, the official added. The surge in flood has wrecked havoc particularly in the island villages of river Godavari, which remained cut off from outside world. The Yetapaka police station in Alluri Sitarama Raju district had to be shut down as it was inundated by over three feet of floodwater. A helicopter of the Indian Navy has been pressed into service to transport essential commodites in Velerupadu mandal in Eluru district that remained cut off due to massive flood. Special Chief Secretary G Sai Prasad has been monitoring the situation from the State Emergency Operations Centre here. State Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma, who reviewed the situation through a videoconference with Collectors of Alluri Sitarama Raju, Konaseema, Eluru, West and East Godavari districts, directed them to evacuate residents from low-lying areas under the Polavaram project to safer places and extend relief.

In Konaseema district, about 17,000 people from 36 island villages have to be evacuated to safety. In West Godavari district too, people from 18 villages have to be shifted. Accordingly, the revenue officials are making arrangements to open relief camps at safer places and shift people from vulnerable villages. So far, according to the State Disaster Management Authority Managing Director B R Ambedkar, seven teams of NDRF and five of SDRF have been deployed with boats and other necessary equipment for rescue and relief operations in flood-hit villages.