Officials issued the second warning with the flood level crossing 50 feet in Godavari River at Bhadrachalam on Sunday morning. Water level is raising and may reach the third warning level (53 feet) by evening.
At 9 a.m., the water level at the Koida was 25 metres, Coffer dam 28.500 metres, Polavaram 13.830 metres and at the Old Railway bridge (Havelock bridge at Rajamahendravaram) 17.50 metres. The discharge from the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage (at Dowleswaram) was 13,92,940 cusecs.
The Godavari is raising in the upstream areas at Kunta, Thallapalem, Peruru, Eturunagaram and Dummugudem villages in Chhattisgarh and Telangana. Sabari, Tammileru and some rivers that were in spate are flowing into Godavari River.
More than 100 tribal hamlets were marooned as water from the Godavari and the streams entered into the Agency areas in West and East Godavari districts.
Officials sounded an alert in Kukunur, Velerupadu, Polavaram, Chintur, V.R. Puram, Kunavaram and other mandals. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Police teams were pressed into service.
The Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Revenue and Irrigation authorities were shifting the people from low- lying areas to safer places. They were supplying essentials and medicines to the tribal people through countrymade boats.
West Godavari district Superintendent of Police K. Narayan Naik directed Polavaram Deputy Superintendent of Police M. Venkateshwara Rao to arrange pickets and conduct patrolling along the bund as a precautionary measure.
“Flood level in Godavari river is raising. We asked the villagers not to cross the overflowing streams and travel in small boats,” said K. R. Puram ITDA Project Officer R.V. Suryanarayana.
In Krishna district, the administration has set up control rooms at Machilipatnam and Vijayawada and other divisions. As there was heavy rain prediction in the next 24 hours, people staying in low-lying areas were cautioned, said an officer.
With heavy discharge from Prakasam Barrage, the Irrigation and Revenue Department officials were directed to take steps to prevent breaches in the downstream.
At 7 a.m., surplus at Prakasam Barrage was 91,250 cusecs. Inflows into Munneru river was 1,11,656 and outflow was 1,11,524. The river was overflowing on the bridge in Vatsavai mandal in Krishna district.
NDRF team led by Deputy Commandant (Operations) D.N. Singh and Inspector B.K. Tiwari rescued three villagers — P. Nagaraju and two boys, P. Bhanu and T. Shyam — trapped in floods in Kunchavaagu near Nandigama.
“The team also saved two local swimmers, Y. Lakshmaiah and Y. Subba Reddy, who tried in vain to rescue the trapped villagers and got struck in the flood,” NDRF 10th Battalion Commandant Zahid Khan told The Hindu on Sunday.