As many as 19 habitations were affected by the flood in the Godavari within the 41+ contour of the Polavaram irrigation project in the Chintoor Agency area of East Godavari district as of Sunday. However, there was no threat of flood in the Sabari so far.
“The backwaters from the Polavaram project have reached up to Chintoor town, affecting the 19 habitations along the riverbed. Nearly 500 families have been evacuated. The remaining have already set up temporary shelters on their own in the upper areas that are believed to be safe from the floods in both the Godavari and the Sabari,” ITDA-Chintoor Project Officer A. Venkata Ramana told The Hindu.
Kunavaram, where the Sabari meets the Godavari, was the most affected area within the +41 contour.
Meanwhile, the ITDA authorities prepared the ground for evacuating the 50 villages that would be affected if the flood warning at Bhadrachalam went beyond the third level.
In Rampachodavaram
“The flood impact in the 44 project-affected habitations in Devipatnam mandal is less as people from 34 habitations have already been rehabilitated to the R&R colonies. However, people in Konda Modalu and P. Gonduru will be affected, and they are being persuaded to leave their habitations,” said ITDA-Rampachodavaram Project Officer Praveen Adithya.
“The R&R colonies are ready, but the families from the two habitations will be rehabilitated after clearing the R&R package by August,” Mr. Adithya said.
People of the remaining eight habitations have already left for the temporary settlements in the upper areas in the Rampachodavaram Agency.
The Revenue and Irrigation authorities are on alert to tackle the flood downstream the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowleswaram in East Godavari district.