The swollen Godavari at Bhadrachalam on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit:
Water levels in the Godavari and its tributaries continued to rise following incessant rains in the upstream coupled with discharge of flood waters from the major reservoirs across the river in Telangana on Wednesday.
The copious inflows from the catchment areas led to surge in the water level in the Godavari at Bhadrachalam in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district where the water level in the river reached 33 feet on Wednesday evening, 10 feet below the first flood warning level.
The water level in the river is likely to increase by another five to six feet by Thursday morning following heavy inflows from the upstream, mainly the Taliperu reservoir in Charla mandal, sources said.
As many as 14 gates of the Taliperu reservoir were lifted, letting out 34,968 cusecs into the Godavari.
Manuguru, Dummugudem and Aswapuram mandals recorded high rainfall of 143.6 mm, 141.6 mm, and 122.8 mm in the last 24 hours ending 8 a.m. on Wednesday.
Collector Priyanka Ala on Wednesday visited the flood-prone areas in Charla and Dummugudem mandals and reviewed the arrangements to open temporary relief camps in Bhadrachalam.
A flood control room 08744 241950 was set up at the Collectorate to monitor the situation arising out of heavy rains constantly. Flood related incidents if any can be passed on phone numbers 08743 232444 (Bhadrachalam RDO office) as well as the WhatsApp helpline number 9392919743.
In Mulugu district, Collector Ila Tripathi toured the Godavari catchment areas in Venkatapuram and Eturunagaram mandal and made an on-the-spot assessment of the rain situation. She visited the ZP school at Alubaka and the Ashram school at Chalpaka, the places identified for setting up temporary relief camps, sources added.
In Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, 57 gates of the Lakshmi barrage were kept open to let out surplus waters as inflows into the barrage from the upstream increased to 5.41 lakh on Wednesday evening.
Incessant rains pounded several parts of the old undivided Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, and Warangal districts in the last 24 hours.