Evacuation of families from low-lying areas of the banks of the Godavari commenced on Friday with irrigation officials issuing the first alert and the floodwater inundating the residential areas.
Over 700 residents from Veeravaram village of Devipatnam were being shifted to a relief camp set up at Pothavaram. Arrangements were being made to shift the residents of Dandangi, Pudipalli and Manturu villages to the relief camps by night. In all, five relief camps have been set up in different parts of Devipatnam, and officials are closely monitoring the situation. A holiday has been declared to schools in Rajamahendravaram Rural, Rajamahendravaram Urban, Kadiyam, Seethanagaram, Devipatnam, Chintooru, Kunavaram, Yetapaka, Vara Ramachandrapuram, Rampachodavaram and Maredumilli mandals on Saturday in view of the prevailing flood situation.
The water level at the Dowleswaram Barrage was 12.7 feet on Friday evening, and the irrigation officials were discharging 11.8 lakh cusecs of floodwater into the Bay of Bengal.
Minister’s visit
There has been a steady increase in water level at the barrage from Thursday night and the first alert was issued on Friday afternoon.
Fishermen have been warned not to venture into the river for fishing and all boat operations in the Godavari were suspended temporarily. All the seven subsidiaries of the Godavari too are in spate, prompting the residents of island villages to face the floods.
Home Minister N. Chinarajappa, along with the officials and local elected representatives, visited the barrage on Friday evening and reviewed the situation. He said that full-fledged arrangements were being made to open relief camps in all the low-lying areas, including the ones in Konaseema region, and urged the residents to extend their cooperation to the officials by shifting to the relief camps.
“Since the flood is receding at Bhadrachalam, we are expecting a steady flow of water at the barrage. The officials are on the alert and there is no scope for communication gap at any level,” he said.
Floodwater entered the Polavaram project site, and tension prevailed when 12 buses belonging to the APSRTC with tourists were caught in the floodwaters on Friday evening. The local police built a temporary road and helped the bus drivers move out of the place.