Flood situation still grim

Govt machinery swings into action

• Situation likely to remain alarming for another 24 hours
• Met warning of more rain keeps officials on their toes

Rajahmundry: Flood fury of River Godavari remains unabated on Tuesday also, leading to a large number of villages in East Godavari and West Godavari districts being marooned. Crops in thousands of acres have been submerged.

As many as 70 island villages in East Godavari district are cut off from outside world with flood waters gushing into them and flowing at a height of 5 to 6 feet. The people in this village are living in constant fear.

Water level at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowlaiswaram has reached 16 feet and it will rise further by afternoon but expected to stabilise by evening, Superintendent Engineer (Irrigation circle, Dowleswaram) and Flood conservator, S Suguna Rao, said.

Meanwhile, East Godavari district collector Neetu Prasad held a review meeting on the flood situation today and directed officials to take all precautionary measures in view of flood threat and shift people living in low-lying areas to safer places. She also directed the irrigation officials to inspect the bunds in the district.

The Irrigation officials are releasing 15.50 lakh cusecs downstream. Consequently, the island villages downstream are marooned. With the causeway at Ayinavillli being submerged, traffic to Ayinavilli Lanka, Veeravallipallem and Addankivari Lanka has come to a grinding halt. Though the floods have receded upstream at Kaleswaram, the fury continues unabated downstream at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage as flood waters flowing downstream. The weather report that the district is likely to be battered by rains, accompanied by heavy winds, has been keeping the officials on their toes.

Crops likely cotton, black gram and paddy in over 800 acres remain under flood waters in villages under Kondamodalu, Tunnuru, Manturu and Devipatnam panchayats. The officials have evacuated a large number of people from marooned villages to relief camps.

Konaseema affected
Normal life downstream the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage has been paralysed. Situation has turned alarming in several villages not only in East Godavari district but also in villages abutting the West Godavari district. Traffic between several villages has come to a halt. Flood fury in Konaseema is likely to remain unabated for another 24 hours as flood waters from upstream streaming downstream.

West Godavari district
The district administration is on high alert following flood waters gushing into several island villages like Kanakaya Lanka and Doddipatla village under Yalamanchili mandal in West Godavari district.

Flood waters have streamed into some houses too. The officials were supplying mineral water to the affected villages.

Meanwhile, the Vasistha Godavari is in full spate at Narasapuram. The water level in the river has risen to 16 feet following the release of 15 lakh cusecs of flood waters upstream into the sea.

Traffic between Narapuram and Sakhinetipalli on one hand and Naraspuram and Palli Revula village on the other has come to a grinding halt.

Minister’s assurance
Deputy Chief Minister N Chinarajappa, who is camping in East Godavri district supervising the evacuation of people from the affected villages, assured the people that the government would provide relief to them. He directed the officials along the course of the river to remain on high alert and evacuate people from low-lying areas to relief camps. He visited some of the marooned villages abutting Bodanakurru Revu.