Godavari continues to rise all along its river course from Basar to Bhadrachalam
The Hindu
Godavari is rising all along its course in Telangana and reaching 1st flood warning level of 43ft in Bhadrachalam. Relief camps readied in temple town and NDRF teams on standby
The water level in Godavari at Telangana’s famous temple town of Bhadrachalam is inching close to the first flood warning level of 43 feet owing to heavy inflows from upstream.
The Godavari continued to be in spate all along its course from Basar in Nirmal district to Bhadrachalam in Bhadradri Kothagudem district in the State following widespread rains in its catchment areas for the third day in a row.
The water level in Godavari at Bhadrachalam hovered around 42 feet with about 8.89 lakh cusecs of flood water flowing downstream at 1 p.m. The bathing ghats along the river, abutting the karakatta (flood bank), in the temple town were submerged.
The official machinery has geared up to deal with any exigency and readied temporary relief camps in the temple town to shift people living in the low-lying areas to the centres as per the flood manual.
Following the forecast of heavy rains in the catchment areas of the Godavari for the next two days, the authorities operationalised flood control rooms in Bhadrachalam and Kothagudem and kept the NDRF teams ready for deployment.
In Mulugu district, about 8.62 lakh cusecs of flood water was let out from the Sammakka Sagar (Tupakulagudem) barrage by lifting 59 spillway gates this morning.
The water level in Kadem dam in Nirmal district is nearing its full reservoir level with copious inflows from the upper catchment areas of the Godavari.
More than 2.6 lakh village and ward volunteers in Andhra Pradesh, once celebrated as the government’s grassroots champions for their crucial role in implementing welfare schemes, are now in a dilemma after learning that their tenure has not been renewed after August 2023 even though they have been paid honoraria till June 2024. Disowned by both YSRCP, which was in power when they were appointed, and the current ruling TDP, which made a poll promise to double their pay, these former volunteers are ruing the day they signed up for the role which they don’t know if even still exists