More than 10,500 people from 62 flood-affected/prone villages were evacuated to 48 relief camps in the Bhadrachalam Agency and elsewhere in Bhadradri Kothagudem district as the Godavari peaked to the highest level of 62.20 feet — nearly 10 feet above the danger mark of 53 ft — in the past one and a half decade, at Bhadrachalam on Thursday evening. The river continued to rise alarmingly, posing a threat of heavy deluge all along its course.
The river, aided by enormous inflows from all the major and medium irrigation projects across the river in the upper reaches in north Telangana, continued to rise menacingly at the temple town late on Thursday evening. A massive volume of 19.48 lakh cusecs of flood water was flowing at Bhadrachalam downstream, when the reports came in, triggering concerns that the river may cross the 70-feet level, the highest in the last three decades.
The Godavari touched its highest ever level of 75.6 feet at Bhadrachalam on August 16, 1986, leaving a trail of destruction in and around the temple town. On August 24, 1990, the river rose to its second highest level of 70.8 feet.
