Grappling with flood, submerged Motu stares at Polavaram effect

MALKANGIRI:  The flood water has receded in the Saveri river is good news for Malkangiri district but Motu is staring at a crisis which is bigger - the Polavaram effect. In Collector Vishal Singh’s words, what Motu has experienced over the weekend is a ‘trailer’ of things to come.

Residents said the flood situation is the outcome of the “Polavaram effect” as they believe the backwaters of Godavari at Polavaram raised the water level in the Saveri river which submerged many villages in Motu.  

The Collector told The New Indian Express that Saveri's water level has been receding since Saturday. Similarly, the water level in the Godavari at Bhadrachalam is also going down slowly which is a matter of relief.

However, the spectre of Polavaram looms large. “Now 500-600 hectare of land spread over seven villages in Motu tehsil under Kalimela block has been submerged. As per the original design, flood water of 50 lakh cusecs of Polavaram dam will submerge 10,000 hectares of land spread over 25 villages, and 7,000 people including 5,000 tribals in the Motu area will be affected when the Polavaram project becomes operational,” he said. Currently, at least seven villages continue to remain inundated for the third day.

Even though the water level is receding in the Saveri river and Godavari basin in Bhadrachalam, the Collector said, officials have been put on alert considering the heavy rain forecast in Malkangiri and Koraput by the India Meteorological Department for the next three days which could affect the receding trend. “Even flood water on ground level in Motu areas has also receded up to 80 metres and the situation seems to be improving.  Seeing the trend it is believed the situation will become normal soon,” he said.

The district administration has already evacuated 565 people including 328 students from seven low-lying areas under Pusuguda and Motu panchayats under Kalimela block limits and shifted them to different shelter centres, and school buildings, Anganwadi centres and multipurpose cyclone shelter houses.