The flood in the Godavari started receding at Bhadrachalam on Saturday evening. However, the second flood warning is in force at the temple town and at Sir Arthur Cotton barrage at Dowleswaram in East Godavari district.
Godavari delta continues to receive huge inflows from Polavaram Irrigation Project (PIP). Flood water reaches Sir Arthur Cotton barrage from the project in a day.
Alluri Sitarama Raju District Joint Collector Ganore Suraj Dhanajay said the trend of Godavari flood was ‘decreasing’ on Saturday evening. The second warning is likely to be withdrawn anytime when the level falls below 48 feet at Bhadrachalam. The flood level was above 50 feet at Bhadrachalam at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Mr. Dhananjay said the major routes between Chintoor and Bhadrachalam remained cut-off. Many tribal habitations had also been cut-off along the Sabari river in Chintoor Agency.
The Godavari Head Works Division stated in its flood report that by 6 p.m., the inflow was above 14.74 lakh cusecs and 9,000 cusecs was being released into the Godavari delta through the canals.
Three National Disaster Response Force teams had been deployed to take up relief operations.
K.R. Puram Integrated Tribal Development Agency Project Officer G. Sunil Kumar said at least 24 habitations had been affected by the Godavari flood and life there was expected to get back to normalcy when the flood water receded from the habitations.
Protests
The Polavaram-displaced people have intensified their protests across the six merged mandals against the non-implementation of Rehabilitation and Resettlement package as they had been at the receiving end during the floods.
Residents of Tekupaka village of Kunavaram Mandal staged a protest in the flood water and demanded their rehabilitation. The Tekupaka habitation falls in the +43 contour, for which the State government did not offer any clarity on exact deadline for their rehabilitation.
