AP: 3rd warning alert issued for Godavari, 554 villages to suffer

With the Godavari river’s rage showing no signs of receding, surrounding districts are on the brink of the worst flood in 36 years. The third warning alert was sounded after the inflow of the Sri Arthur Cotton Barrage in Dhavaleshwaram exceeded the danger level of 17 lakh cusecs.

As of Friday afternoon, the inflow is at 19 lakh cusecs.

According to the Andhra Pradesh state disaster management authority, flood flow is likely to reach 22 to 23 lakh cusecs.

“If the flood reaches 22 lakh cusecs, it is likely to affect 554 villages in 42 Mandals of six districts. Flood will affect 20 Mandals in Ambedkar Konaseema and 8 Mandals in East Godavari, 5 in West Godavari 4 Mandals in Allurisitaramaraju district,” said the government authority.

Three Mandals in Eluru and 2 Mandals in Kakinada will also be hit.

Accordingly, the revenue officials are making arrangements to open relief camps at safer places and shift people from vulnerable villages.

So far, according to the State Disaster Management Authority’s Managing Director B R Ambedkar, seven teams of NDRF and five of SDRF have been deployed with boats and other necessary equipment for rescue and relief operations in flood-hit villages.

The Indian Navy, in response to a request from the Eluru district administration, launched two rescue helicopters from the INS Dega in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.

The helicopters air-dropped relief material, including essential food items, medicines, milk, and bread, to the marooned villagers in areas of Koida and Katkur in Velairpadu mandal.

So far, over 2,000 kg of relief material has been delivered by the helicopters operating from Rajahmundry airport, the Navy said.

Traffic on the Khammam to Bhadrachalam road towards Burgampadu towards Manuguru crossroads has come to a complete standstill. Bhadrachalam is currently inundated with floodwater as the water level reached 68.70 feet. As a result, traffic from the city to Dummugudem Charla Venkatapuram mandals has stopped.

Flood water incapacitated national highways in the districts, resulting in the blockage of roads connecting Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, and Chhatishgarh.