Polavaram mandals face brunt

Rampachodavaram (ASR District): Heavy rains in the upper reaches of River Godavari have led to flood-like situation in several areas. As the first flood warning was issued in Bhadrachalam at about 3 p.m., the Revenue and Irrigation authorities have been put on high alert.

An alert has been issued to the administration in Polavaram flood mandals in the Alluri Sitarama Raju district. The water level of Godavari at Polavaram is increasing every hour with constant flood surge. The water level has risen to 30.68 metres at the Polavaram project. About 3,15,791 cusecs of flood water were released downstream from the project spillway. The tributaries Pranahitha and Sabari are overflowing due to the rains in the upper reaches. From them, flood water is coming in large quantities into Godavari. According to the information provided by the Water Resources Department officials, water levels are increasing at Sriram Sagar, Kaddam dam, Sripada Ellampalli, Kaleshwaram, Kantanapally, Dummugudem, Bhadrachalam, Koonavaram, Polavaram, and Dowleswaram.

With weather office predicting heavy to moderate rains in Andhra Pradesh, officials have warned that the people of the Godavari-Sabari catchment areas need to be alert till Monday.

On the other hand, holiday was declared for educational institutions and hostels in Chintoor, Koonavaram, VR Puram, and Yetapaka mandals on Thursday due to the impending flood due to Polavaram backwaters.

Collector Sumit Kumar, who visited the Kunavaram mandal, said that the next two days will be very crucial in the wake of the floods. People have been requested not to travel unnecessarily.

The government has sent two teams of NDRF to the Alluri Sitarama Raju district for early relief operations.