Godavari above danger level, 51 villages hit

By Our Staff Reporter

BHADRACHALAM, AUG. 29. In all, 51 village are affected in 14 revenue mandals of Khammam district as the Godavari was flowing one feet above the danger level at the temple town. Over 10,000 people were shifted to 58 relief camps set up in the marooned villages. Milk powder, drinking water sachets and medicines were air-lifted to six revenue mandals of Vararamachandrapuram, Kunavaram, Chintoor, Wajeedu, Venkatapuram and Cherla which were seriously affected.

Sabari, a tributary of the Godavari, is posing more danger because of continued rainfall in its catchment area spread over Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. The tributary could block the flood flow in the main river, causing more submergence in Kunavaram and Velerpadu mandals along with the upstream reaches upto the temple town.

The Godavari, which was steady at 52.4 feet from 1 am to 6 am today, touched 53.9 feet at the temple town by 7 p.m while the Sabari was close to 32 feet at Kunavaram. About 1200 armymen were kept stand by. Men and material from all sources were being transported to the affected pockets.

The Minister for Prohibition, Mr. Tummala Nageswara Rao, and the District Collector, Mr. A. Giridhar, camping here to monitor the rescue and relief operations, said the administration was geared to meet the situation in the event of further rise in the flood levels which was likely as the catchment was still getting heavy rains.

There were widespread rains in Adilabad, Karimangar, Warangal and Khammam besides the catchment of Penganga and Indravati. The flood levels were on the rise at all upstream points from Kaleswaram to Perur. The gradual rise had given sufficient time for the official machinery to get the flood prone villages evacuated.

They explained that some people were asking for cooked food while others insisted on supply of uncooked rice at the relief centres. Since, it was raining everywhere, the provision of raw rice would not be of much help. As a result cooked food was being provided at a majority of the relief camps.

The Minister explained that a couple from Parnasala village- Tuli Korraiah, 40 and Kousalamma, 35, died as they came in contact with a live electric wire while crossing a stream in a boat. The body of Kousalamma was found in the boat while her husband had drowned. No loss of lives was reported in any other mandals.

The Minister said the crop loss would be extensive this time. some of the farmers who were affected by flood in July last had sown the crop for second time. Cotton, chilli and paddy crops were just one month old all along the banks.

In Burgumpadu mandal, thousands of acres of standing crop was under a sheet of water. Road communication between Sarapaka and Burgumpadu was cut off. The inter-state route to Jagadalpur and Kunta was also affected. A large number of heavy vehicles carrying perishable goods such as fish were stranded. Six lorries carrying coconut from West Godavari to Raipur for the Ganesh festival were among the stranded vehicles.

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Section  : Southern States
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