Tribal people in the Agency area are in constant fear due to rise in the flood level in the Godavari.
The flood level at the crest at Polavaram, which was 25 feet on Friday, crossed 26 feet on Saturday.
As the backwaters had overflowed from the Kothuru causeway a few days ago, the officials raised the height of the causeway. The water level at the causeway now was about 20 feet, the residents said.
Closure of coffer dam
“Water level in the Godavari at Bhadrachalam is very low now. Though there are no floods to the river, the water level is raising due to the backwaters caused by the closure of the coffer dam this year. The flood fury will be very severe if the water level increases further,” the officials said.
“Normally, the Godavari witnesses floods between July 15 and September 15. This year, as the backwaters are stagnating due to closure of the coffer dam, there is flood threat to about 20 hamlets. If there is a flood during peak monsoon, the situation will be so severe, and many hamlets will be submerged,” said Madakam Somu, a villager.
K.R. Puram ITDA officials said Kothru, Mamidigondi, Tellavaram, Gajulagondi, Pedduru, Madhapuram, Kondrukota, Vadapalli, Pidakula Mamidi, Sarugudu, Yerravaram, Tekuru, Thutigunta, Cheeduru, Sivagiri, Tella Dibbalu and other areas would be inundated in case of floods.
The Pragadapalli Vaagu, Yedla Vaagu, Gujjavaram Vaagu and many other streams would overflow onto the roads and communication would be affected to more than 20 hamlets, the Revenue officials fear.
Officials were conducting grama sabhas in the tribal hamlets in Polavaram, Velerupadu, Kukunoor, Buttaigudem and other mandals and cautioning the residents on the severity of the floods. They appealed to the tribal people to move to safer places.
A few families shifted to the hilly areas and erected huts there on Saturday.
ITDA Project Officer Y.V. Prasanna Lakshmi said that Medical and Health, Revenue, Police, Irrigation, Fisheries, AP-Transco, Girijan Cooperative Corporation, APSRTC and other departments were kept on alert.
The Irrigation Department officials were releasing water through the Polavaram project radial gates, she said.