Godavari in spate, over 18k people evacuated

The Andhra Pradesh government is carefully watching the flood situation arising out of heavy inflows into the Godavari River due to heavy rains.

As a precaution, 18,809 persons were shifted to 85 relief camps from inundated places in East Godavari District. Around 85 medical camps have also been kept for any emergency situation.

The water level at Bhadrachalam in Telangana stood at 42.50 ft. close to warning level one and the engineers said that the inflows were so steady that the situation can turn precarious any time.

One team of NDRF has been stationed at Velairupadu and three teams at Devipatnam, Rajamahendravaram, and Ubhilanka. State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) teams were stationed at Thoyyeru, Pudipalli, Verravaram, Devipatnam area, and Chintoor in East Godavari. Polavaram, Koderu and Anagarilanka in West Godavari have SDRF teams on standby. Over 50 satellite phones have been kept ready at district collectorates and RDO offices.

Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy who has conducted a review meeting on the flood situation has exuded confidence that the situation will return to normalcy within three days. Officials informed that 64 villages have been cut off and 8 villages submerged in East Godavari district and five people have lost lives in rain and flood-related incidents.

The district administration in both the Godavari districts has distributed Rice, Kerosene, and Red Gram in flood-affected areas. Efforts are on to bring back 150 engineering staff stranded at the Polavaram project site to the mainland.