Kakinada: Flood situation eases in Godavari

Kakinada: Floodwater level in River Godavari is receding slowly by Tuesday evening as 22.40 lakh cusecs of water is being discharged by evening as against the 22.50 lakh cusecs in the afternoon. Irrigation department officials said it is likely to come down by Wednesday morning as the flows are receding at Bhadrachalam from 52.80 feet to 52.10 feet.

The waters level reached to 30.72 metre at Cofferdam and 15.650 feet at Polavaram project. All works at the project were suspended temporarily apart from pumping of Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme due to Krishna basin receiving floodwater from Budameru, Maneru and other drains.

In Devipatnam mandal in East Godavari, Gandi Posamma village and Gandi Posamma temple have been submerged by floodwaters. Most of the people in Devipatnam and Thoyeeru villages have evacuated their villages and reached safer places. However, the people, especially tribals of Madipalli, Penekalapadu, Kachuluru, Chinalapadu, Manturu, Kachuluru, Talluru, Gonduru habitations of Kondamodalu areas are reluctant to move out to safer places leaving homes despite appeals by the officials.

The people of these villages have taken shelters in the hill areas in the vicinity of their villages along with their cattle. They made it clear to the officials that if they come out from the villages to government shelters, their cattle can be affected by floods. They said that they would value the lives of the cattle as much as theirs.

ITDA project officer In-charge Pravin Aditya said that the floods were receding slowly, but the people should stay in safer places for a few days before returning to homes. He said that flood situations can become normal within two days. The roads in several villages in Devipatnam mandal including Kondamodalu, Nadpudi, Mettagudem, Samarlapadu, Penekalapadu, Madipalli, Manturu, Kachuluru and Gubbalapalem have been seriously affected with waters flowing at 7 to 12 feet level on the roads. Three control rooms are working round-the-clock in the agency area and 32 medical camps have been arranged.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister and district In-charge minister Dharmana Krishna Das visited Ayinapuram village in Mummidivaram mandal and interacted with the farmers. He inspected the submerged paddy fields and distributed essential commodities. Social welfare minister Pinepe Viswaroop visited several marooned villages in Konaseema and instructed the officials to make all possible help available to the flood victims.

The flood waters surrounded 47 lanka villages in Konaseema where people are using country boats to move for moving between villages for essential commodities. The causeways in several villages have also been submerged.